


A Father with a Fatherless Past

by idontwanttheworld-iwantmalec (GoodFinderBadger)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Foster Care, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Poor Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2019-12-07 07:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18231662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodFinderBadger/pseuds/idontwanttheworld-iwantmalec
Summary: Tony Stark knew he needed a kid in his life.  He wanted to help a kid have a life he never did growing up.  When he started his search he never expected to bring home two boys.  While he may have lost a lot to get them, he may gain even more in return.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! First Irondad project and it should be fun, yeah? This fic is based off of agib2002 blog and her foster au headcannons on her blog that she and her followers have made! They inspired me so much and loved the idea. So I take characters and make my own universe for them and call it fun haha. Hope you guys like this and I know there will be wild room for improvement here. I tried my best with them. 
> 
> Happy Reading

He couldn’t remember ever using the balcony off of his bedroom before today. The view was breathtaking of the entire city surrounding them as far as he could see. He sighed and wished he could stay in this moment forever instead of facing the reality that he couldn’t change even if he wanted to. The reality that he might have to make the impossible choice between his gorgeous girlfriend Pepper, or a life with kids running around his suite. 

Admittedly when he built this tower kids hadn’t been on his mind very much.

Footsteps made him whirl around and a flash of red made his heart lift in hope, only to have it sink again when it was the wrong shade of red. Natasha sat in the chair next to him and plopped a box on the table between them. 

“Did you bring me fucking donuts?” Tony asked as the scent of fried pastries reached him. 

“If I get fucking donuts, then so do you,” Nat said with a sigh, raising her sunglasses to look at him. “So, guess who my partner is this week?”

“I was up here moping, just so you know,” Tony told her, knowing that he was no longer allowed his pity party on his private balcony. “I regret giving you access.”

“I went to your lab first,” She let her glasses fall back in place and slouched further in her seat. “Barton is my partner, again.”

“I thought they split you guys up? Is Rogers getting Alzheimer’s already?” Tony really shouldn’t know the dynamics of the NYPD as well as he did. Or at least the precinct Nat was in at any rate. 

“He’s telling me we have to learn to work with every member of our team,” Tony could hear Nat rolling her eyes even if he couldn’t see it. “So much for being honest with him.”

“He could have told Clint,” Tony mused as he gave into the scent and picked up a donut from the box. “That would have been worse.”

“Fucking hell, don’t say his name,” Nat sighed heavily again and Tony could see she was upset by the fist clenched on her thigh.

“Which talk do you want today? The one where I tell you to have hope and any day now he’s going to leave his wife? Or the one where I tell you to please, for the sake of both our sanities, move on from Barton already? Or you could just fuck him and be his side piece?” He had been through the Clint situation way too many times over the last few years. Nat had fallen for him years ago when he was dating Laura, and then subsequently married her while his best friend had stayed silent. Now Clint was not as in love with his wife as he once was and Nat’s feelings were causing her hell. 

“Fuck the hell off,” Nat raised her middle finger his direction lazily. “I’m kinda surprised you don’t have any whiskey up here. On the rocks sounds good already and it’s only one.”

“If I tell Pepper I want kids and then get drunk when she tells me no that wouldn’t paint the best picture,” Tony also wished he could use the burn of alcohol to wash away the pain of hearing his girlfriend be honest with him. Whoever said honesty was the best policy really had no hard truths in their life. 

“So, she really told you to pick? Kids or her?” Nat perched her glasses in her fiery red hair to look at him with her eyes full of understanding. “Like, no negotiations or anything?”

“You can’t negotiate on kids, not really,” Tony said miserably. “I might lose my girlfriend, which is bad enough, but also my CEO at the same time. So if I don’t choose her I don’t only fuck over my own life, but possibly the entirety of Stark Industries.”

“Burn SI to the ground,” Nat fake cheered with a fist in the air.

“I guess you don’t enjoy the new tracking system in your squad cars then?” Tony asked wryly. “Oh, and your phone would no longer exist at all.”

“I spoke too soon,” She relented. “Tony, you want kids. It’s as much of a fact as the sky is fucking blue. You quit drinking you want them so much, and I never thought that was possible. Are you really going to spend the rest of your damn life denying that you want them? Dont’ be like me and just admit what you want before it’s gone forever.”

“This is all your love interest’s fault,” Tony pointed out to her. “You just had to bring him to Pepper’s birthday party and ruin everything.”

“I’m showing that asshole we are still friends and I am perfectly capable of controlling any and all feelings I have,” Nat defended her actions, sitting up straighter in her chair. 

“Feelings yes, actions not so much,” Tony smirked at her briefly before it dropped away. “Playing with Clint’s kids just put it all over the edge for me. I just…. I can’t imagine never having that. I should have known Pepper wasn’t interested if she had never mentioned it by now. I want to help kids, I do. I want to adopt some rugrats and give them a home they have no chance of having otherwise. I want to give them everything. I want to tuck them in and deal with bad grades and deciding what future they want. I want to play with them and hold them and all that dad shit. The shit Clint can’t go a day without.”

“The shit that makes him stay in a failing marriage,” Nat’s tone was bitter as she shifted in her seat. “Tony, it’s not a bad thing to want kids. Pepper isn’t the only woman you’ll ever fall in love with.”

“Experience would argue with that. Only fell in love with men before her,” Tony argued lightly. 

“You can raise kids with a guy,” Nat shot back. “A certain blonde with layers of muscle would make an excellent dad with a certain billionaire genius I know.,”

“You forgot playboy philanthropist,” Tony felt a shiver run through him as she mentioned Captain Steve Rogers. The blonde had caught his attention the moment he met him, to the endless amusement of Natasha, Pepper, Rhodey, and anyone else in his life. “He’s in love with his best friend as well.”

“Well, if he’s so in love,” Nat mocked his view as her phone pinged in her pocket. “Then explain to me why both of them are single living in an apartment together? They have literally no sexual tension between them. The chances are a lot higher with you and Steve than me and...y’know.” She squinted at her phone and groaned. “Well, Clint is wondering where the fuck his partner disappeared to, so that’s my cue. Stark, you can’t pick Pepper over kids. Trust me when I say it will never be worth it.”

“What if she leaves?” Tony asked as Natasha turned to leave. The thought of Pepper really walking away from everything they’d built together made him visibly shake. Ever since his parents had left him far too soon he’d had an issue with people walking away from him. “What if she really walks away, out of my life forever?”

Nat was quiet for a long moment before she came to kneel in front of him to make him meet her eyes. “If she is really one of your best friends the way I am or the way Rhodey is, then she won’t leave completely. I get so mad at Clint I could tear his face off, and it’s hard to even see him sometimes, but I would never walk away from him. Not unless he explicitly told me to, and even then I’m not sure I could. Clint is my best friend, above any feelings we might have. If Pepper is everything she says she is to you then she isn’t going to walk away like you don’t matter. She will probably need some space for a bit, but not forever.”

“Yeah,” Tony said heavily, running both hands through his hair. “Yeah, okay. I guess I”ll tell her I can’t see my future without kids in it and we can go from there.”

“I’m only a text away,” Nat reminded him, squeezing his knee and getting up to leave. “WIsh me luck to not kill or kiss my partner.”

“Just don’t do anything I would do,” Tony called after her while smiling to himself and grateful he had her in his corner for so long. They had ended up in college together freshman year, well when she was a real freshman and he was the prodigy freshman. She liked him because of his snark and he never looked at her like she was nothing more than a prize to gain. He had been too young to appreciate sex appeal as much and had liked having someone treat him like an equal instead of a kid. Nat and Rhodey had been the only reasons he hadn’t quit his freshman year. Then Natasha had run off to police academy instead to become an officer and Tony was glad they kept in touch even after separating ways. 

Once again she gave him the courage to go after what he wanted, easy or not.,

~~~~~

“That’s...a lot of boxes,” Tony looked around his room and felt sick to his stomach. He had said his truth and hoped for the best, but the best was never going to happen. Pepper had stuck to what she had told him two weeks ago. She had no interest in having or raising kids with anyone, not even him. He knew this wasn’t easy for her and that he really should have never cut off his meeting early just to see her leave. He did always have a masochistic streak inside of him.

“You always said I had too much stuff,” Pepper said, emerging form the closet carrying the last of her clothes. “You are supposed to be in a meeting.”

“You scheduled it an hour too long,” Tony shrugged and leaned in the doorway. “Negotiations didn’t take as long as you thought.”

“You just got exactly what you wanted,” She rolled her eyes and sighed as she put the last box on the stack. “Happy will be up to help me carry the boxes out of here. If I left anything you know where my office is.”

“I’m glad I’m not losing my intimidating and amazing CEO,” Tony told her and hated that she couldn’t even look at him. He wasn’t stupid. He knew he broke her heart with his decision. He was the one splitting them like this and he hated himself a little for it. “Pep, as beautiful as you look when you cry I hate seeing it.”

She flushed a dark pink and face the window while wiping her cheeks. “Shut up, Tony. You weren’t supposed to do this.”

“I couldn’t just not say goodbye. Done that before and it didn’t work for me so well.” Tony wanted to hold her so badly it hurt. They had built this company together, this whole tower, and now she was taking herself out of the equation. “I still think we could make this work, for the record.”

“Your plan is for you to adopt a kid and have me act like they don’t exist,” Pepper glared at him with red eyes and even though she’d been crying she was fiercely beautiful. “I’m not a monster, Tony! If there was a child here then of course I would feel affection for him or her. I would care about our child, or your child as you put it last night. You can’t have a child and your partner not be involved. You can’t destroy our relationship like that. You were my boss, and then one of my best friends. All of that has to come before our relationship. I love my job, and I’m good at what I do. I don’t want kids Tony, but I never said I wouldn’t feel something if you brought one home.” She sighed and walked over to him to rest a hand on his chest. “Let me save what I can from us Tony, please. I’m glad you were honest with me and that we are doing this now instead of later. Let us say goodbye to this part of our lives and we can both move on.” She kissed his cheek softly and walked briskly out of his room. 

Tony had to forcibly remind himself it wasn’t out of his life, not completely. 

He could only watch as men came to take her things away, Happy being one of them. They exchanged glances that said a lot, but Tony couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Pepper couldn’t even be in the room any longer and now she was gone over some kids he didn’t even have yet. 

After it was all said and done there was nothing Tony craved more than the bottle of vanilla rum in the freezer he knew Natasha had in his freezer. She practically lived at the tower and now that Pepper was gone he was sure Nat would be around even more. That was a slight perk in the dark horizon, but she wouldn’t be off work for hours still and drinking was his vice. He grabbed the keys to his Audi instead and decided breaking a few speed limits would have to do. If he couldn’t drink away his problems, at least he could drive away from them for the time being. He would come back when the thought of the dark pent suite didn’t make his stomach churn. 

He blasted rock music and had the windows down as he drove along the highway at speeds not technically legal. He had FRIDAY scanning for cops along the way and it made tension leak out of him bit by bit as he left the city behind him. He pulled over for gas eventually and to stretch his legs a bit. He was submitting himself to some gas station coffee when he saw the sign pinned on the bulletin board. It was poorly made and very little effort was put into a sign for a boys group home a few miles away. He snapped a picture of it as he paid for the lukewarm coffee and headed back to his car. 

He really shouldn’t go today. He wasn’t prepared and had no idea what kid he would want. He hadn’t given any thought to specifics other than he really wanted to help a kid or two out. He didn’t know what age he wanted or even if he wanted a boy or a girl. This wasn’t like browsing for a car and picking the first one that caught his interest on the lot. He had to know what he wanted, didn’t he?

Nonetheless he couldn’t force himself to get back on the highway and found himself driving to the address on the picture he snapped. It didn’t take too long before he was pulling up in front of a house that had seen better days in a neighborhood that looked a little beaten up as well. The house was plain and there was a tiny sign on the fence stating he had found the group home he was looking for. He stepped out and leaned against the car for a moment, wondering if it was safe to even leave his car out here in the street. The yard was overgrown and the house really needed a coat of paint on it. The roof was missing a few shingles here and there and the chimney on top was falling apart. It looked like some orphanage from every stereotypical movie. He didn’t belong here, and he wasn’t sure if any kid here would want some billionaire taking them home. 

His feet carried him to the door nonetheless and he knocked against the edge of the rusting screen door. He felt incredibly nervous standing outside. He wasn’t exactly good with kids. He had had fun with Clint’s kids of course, but they were mature and incredibly well behaved. 

“Hello?” A man younger than Tony expected opened the door. He had cropped blonde hair and seemed annoyed more than welcoming. “Can I help you?”

“I”m interested in adoption,” Tony said slowly, hoping he didn’t sound ridiculous. “I was hoping I could meet some of the boys here?”

“Oh, yeah, alright,” The man stepped aside and let him through the entryway, where Tony quickly realized the inside was as in need of updating as the outside. The wallpaper peeled in the corners and the house smelled a tad musty. “My name is Tom and I run the place with my wife Deb. She’s upstairs with one of the boys right now, but I can kind of show you around. 

“I’m Tony,” He fervently hoped that way out here they didn’t know him right off the bat. “I’ve really just started looking. I don’t know much about kids.”

“They’re kids,” Tom shrugged, completely uninterested. “They cause trouble and eat all your food and you try and make sure they don’t terrorize society. If you have any questions I have basic histories on most of the boys here. Our youngest here is four and the oldest we have is Harley at sixteen. Let me tell you right now you don’t want Harley if you aren’t good with kids. He’s a menace of a kid. Can’t wait until he’s eighteen honestly.”

Tony felt incredibly awkward as he glanced around to see the main floor mostly empty, which he thought was kind of strange. He had no idea what these kids did during the day, but he would think at least a few would be on the main floor. He thanked Tom and started to slowly wander through the house. He circled the main floor and only saw two boys in the kitchen helping prep for dinner and Tony knew less about cooking than he did about kids so he decided that wasn’t the best avenue to start with. He started up the old stairs, the creaking and squeaking making him noticeable immediately. He saw a few young boys at the top of the stairs playing with a deck of cards and Tony tried talking to them but it was quickly obvious he didn’t click with either of them. He headed past what he assumed to be bedrooms and was about to call this visit a lost cause when he heard the voice of a woman he could assume to be the wife of the owner Tom. It came from the last bedroom on the left and Tony didn’t mean to eavesdrop but the woman was hardly being quiet and her words weren’t what he would call nice. 

“I am so sick and tired of changing these damn sheets,” The woman ranted loud enough to carry into the hall. “This is the fourth time this week already you’ve wet this bed. You aren’t five Peter, and you should know better. You need to grow the hell up and act like you’re ten years old. Do you want to be adopted?” Silence met her question and Tony felt bad for whatever kid she was berating this way. His stomach squirmed uncomfortably at what he had seen so far. Neither of the couple seemed very invested in these kids or their happiness. They seemed to want nothing to do with taking care of any of them and barely kept a roof up on the place. “Answer me, you stupid brat! Do you ever want to be adopted out of here?”

“Yeah,” The tiny voice made Tony’s heart ache immediately at the threat of tears laced there. 

“Well, then you need to grow the hell up and act your age already. Honestly I think Nathan is more mature than you are sometimes and he’s four. Next time I’m making you change your own damn sheets since you’re perfectly capable of it. Do you know how much extra laundry I have to do because of you? There is nothing in your simple little life to have nightmares about for crying out loud. But I forgot that you’re afraid of your own fucking shadow.”

“I’m s-sorry,” The boy’s voice stuttered, obviously ashamed and scared of the woman ranting at him. “I just get n-nightmares. C-can’t help it.”

“Maybe I’ll just make sure you don’t take naps anymore during the day. Work you hard enough to make you exhausted like I am every single day.” The woman huffed and appeared in the doorway. She was taller than Tony and had her brown hair piled up in a messy bun on top of her head. She looked to be in her forties and her posture wasn’t any kinder than her words. “Dinner is in an hour Peter, and I don’t care what it is you’re eating it tonight.” She slammed the door hard enough to shake the walls and stormed right past Tony without even seeing him. Tony was frozen in shock at this woman’s behaviour. She was meant to be taking care of these boys and the boy in there didn’t sound older than twelve at most that she was screaming at. He was still a child for crying out loud! Tony may not know much about kids, but man Howard Stark had at least taught him what not to do. 

It took him a moment to open the door slowly behind the woman. He probably shouldn’t invade the boy’s room, but he had to make sure he was okay after that verbal beating. At first he thought the room was empty somehow before he dropped his gaze and saw a boy sitting on the floor with his knees drawn up to his chest. All Tony could see was his mop of brown curls since his face was buried in his knees as he cried quietly. His thin shoulders shook as the boy muffled his sobs and seemed too scared to move from where that woman left him. He was thin for his age and smaller than Tony expected. His clothes were too big for him and had seen better days clearly. The pants had a bleach stain on one leg and a hole in one of the knees. 

This kid needed so much love.

 

“Hey,” Tony said quietly, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him so that Peter could still have some privacy from other boys. 

“H-hi,” Peter said, sniffling and trying to stop his tears. The boy was no doubt surprised to find him here. He was probably pretty afraid of some random man in his bedroom. Tony went to sit on the bed before he thought better of it and slowly sat on the floor across from the boy. 

“My name is Tony,” He said softly, hoping Peter wasn’t about to dart away in fear. The boy blinked a few times at him before his face suddenly lit up completely in delight. 

“You’re Tony Stark!” He squeaked in excitement, but he didn’t uncurl from against the wall completely. “You’re a genius! I…. I love watching the Expos on TV. You create all kinds of things and help people!”

“I…” Tony had never really met a fan, at least not one this young. He had met men almost as rich as him trying to buy out the company or his ideas or some other underhanded scheme at work. He was used to reporters in his life since he was this boy’s age, always looking for their next article about one of the hottest families in New York. He had spoken at colleges and never had anyone this ardently interested. This adorable boy knew who he was and apparently adored him for it, or at least the things he knew this young. He thankfully wasn’t alive for his...controversial years. “That’s me.”

“Are you here for a presentation? Did I miss it?” Now the boy did shoot up in worry and looked incredibly anxious. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep and then I made a mess again and got in trouble and- and- and I didn’t know you were gonna be here.”

“Take a breath kiddo,” Tony found himself smiling at the energy this boy had and the enthusiasm he had about a potential science presentation of all things. “I’m not here to teach anything. I… I wanted to maybe adopt a boy.”

He really didn’t know he wanted a boy until he said it out loud. He really did want a boy to raise and teach and maybe have him become a better man than he was. Raise a boy better than his father raised him all those years ago.

No, that train of thought was not allowed, not ever. Howard wasn’t worth even a moment of thought.

“Oh,” Peter seemed to lose his enthusiasm at that, as if he would never consider that Tony could want him. 

“You like science?” Tony asked him, fighting a smile when Peter nodded quickly with a smile he tried to hide. “What are you learning right now? How old are you?”

“I’m ten,” Peter told him and the woman’s harsh words made the flames of anger burn brighter as Tony thought about what she had said to this poor boy. “In school we- we’re learning all about weather and- and- and climate and stuff! My teacher used to be a- be a storm chaser and he tells us all kinds of stories about tornadoes and stuff!” 

The stutter only made him more adorable and why was Tony so gone for any kid under the age of twelve lately? He looked around the room and noticed how bare it was. There weren’t any decorations on the walls and the beds all had the same grey comforters on them. The room had three beds crammed into it and only one dresser with the last drawer broken. 

“Which bed is yours Peter?” Tony asked him, knowing kids loved to show off their rooms and stuff from the way Clint’s daughter had talked for twenty minutes straight all about her room. 

“That one,” Peter said, pointing to the bed in the corner opposite Tony. “The middle is S-S-Skip and then Harley.”

“You like your roommates?” Tony really had no idea what to talk to this kid about, but he figured he wasn’t messing it up yet. Some part of him knew he wanted to take Peter home with him. He knew this child deserved a room of his own where he could have posters and a bedspread and toys all over the place. Where nightmares would be okay and not a reason for punishment. Peter would have clean clothes that fit him and could have new ones the minute he grew another inch taller. 

Tony could at least give him those things, if not anything else.

“Well, I love Harley,” Peter said a tad shyly, as though admitting to loving something was wrong somehow. “He’s-”

The door opened harshly behind them, crashing into the plaster. Tony startled at the sound slightly, but that was nothing compared to the way Peter nearly jumped out of his skin and scrambled as far away from the door as possible. Tears had sprung to his eyes and it made Tony feel absolutely sick to his stomach. 

“Oh God, Pete I’m sorry,” The voice made Tony’s focus go back to the door where a teenager stood in ripped jeans and a band tee shirt also too big for him. He had curls like Peter, but his hair was a few shades lighter and more of a dirty blonde. The teen made to reach out for Peter, but the moment he spotted Tony on their floor he froze.

“Who the hell are you?” The teen spat angrily, facing him and Tony didnt’ fail to notice how he immediately put himself in front of the younger boy. 

“That’s T-T-Tony Stark,” Peters small voice said, thick with tears and fear. 

“I didn’t know you were up here,” The teen seemed to favor comforting Peter instead of confronting him. Tony was touched at the care with which the older boy ran a hand through messy brown curls. “I’m so sorry Pete. I thought you were off doing chores.”

“Deb said to stay up here since I was useless otherwise,” Peter recited and every single moment this woman was mentioned Tony wanted to throttle her more. How dare anyone say that to a child? She could give Howard a run for his parenting skills. 

“So, what the fuck is Tony Stark doing in an orphanage?” The teenager was determined to be angry at him for some reason, as though he were the one making Peter cry. “Shouldn’t you be creating another missile?”

Ah, so this kid had seen the not so great side of Stark Industries.

“First of all,” Tony said calmly. “My company stopped making weapons years ago. I was talking to Peter here because I was looking to adopt. We were talking about science and how he likes it here.”

“It’s an orphanage,” The teen said flatly, eyes giving nothing away. “How do you think he likes it?”

Angry teenager is something Tony used to speak fluently, but he was a tad out of practice by now. He sighed to himself and tried to diffuse some of the anger in the air. “So, are you Harley or Skip?”

The teen’s eyes darkened further and Tony saw Peter flinch slightly at the mention of the name. So much for starting a conversation in neutral territory. 

“Harley Parker,” The teen said with disgust in his tone. “Definitely not that bastard Steven.”

“Har, bad words,” Peter tugged on the teen’s hand. “You’re gonna get in trouble.”

“Not from Tony Stark I’m not,” Harley rolled his eyes, but squeezed Peter’s hand. “So, you want to adopt Peter?”

“Yes,’ The word slipped out before Tony even could consider filtering his answer. Guess his heart had decided for him this time. “I do.”

“He’s a package deal,” Harley said as Peter got a shy smile on his face again. That was the most adorable ten year old Tony had ever seen hands down. “We go together.”

“Why’s that?” Tony raised an eyebrow and wondered if that were really the case. Could he really only have them both or not at all? 

“I’m his brother,” Vulnerability entered Harley’s tone and some of the anger left. “Harley and Peter Parker.”

Well, that would explain the overprotective nature then. Also it would explain the way Peter was now clinging onto Harley tightly with an adoring expression. They looked alike the more Tony looked between them and why on earth would they lie? 

He was torn. How could he leave Peter in this place when Tony wanted to give him so much more? It had only taken a moment to fall in love, but Harley was a whole different package. Though Harley was older and mostly already raised. All the teen would need is food and a roof, right? At sixteen Tony was already an adult practically and gone from home. He would probably be a help with Peter anyways the more he thought about it. That way Tony wouldn’t have to guess at everything Peter liked or didn’t like. 

“Fine,” Tony said, though his brain was screaming at him that this was way too much. “I’ll talk to the caretaker about taking the both of you with me.”

“Really?” Peter’s young voice caught his attention as his brown eyes peered around Harley. “You’re gonna have us both?”

Tony didn’t fail to notice that Peter’s stutter got better when his brother was close to him. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Harley was silent as Tony left and he was trying to convince himself that this wasn’t a mistake asking for the both of them. Peter was shy and adorable while his brother was practically already raised. This wouldn’t be so impossible. Sure he had planned on one kid and he sure as hell hadn’t planned on today, but he used to be spontaneous all the time once upon a time. He could take them home and it wasn’t like he didn’t have the room. 

Tom was in his office and looked up as Tony walked in. “Oh, you’re still here. Any of the boys suit your interest?”

“Ah, yeah actually,” Tony didn’t find Tom as disgusting as his wife, but he figured if his wife was that awful that her husband couldn’t be a saint. “The Parker brothers.”

“Do you want your reputation ruined?” Tom asked with both eyebrows raised in disbelief. He shook his head with a laugh. “For a man who doesn’t know about children you picked a handful. I’m assuming you’re looking for an heir to your company?”

“Well,” That honestly hadn’t crossed his mind, but any kid he adopted would end up inheriting his company. “I guess they would be heirs, yeah.”

“Harley would never be fit for something like that,” Tom shook his head, still chuckling. “Neither would Peter if I’m being honest. Harley is a little hoodlum criminal in the making and Peter is scared of absolutely everything. Harley is always in trouble with the cops around here. He breaks curfew, stealing, and vandalism. He’ll sooner steal you dry than help you run a company. It’s a struggle to get him to stay in school for a full week. He’s mouthy and has no respect for anyone in the slightest.”

“He did seem a bit edgy,” Tony frowned at the way Tom had absolutely nothing positive to say about either of them. Sure kids had their struggles, but there was always good to see. 

“Then Peter is ten, but he sure doesn’t act it.” Tom pulled out what Tony assumed was his file and looked it over. “Every home sends him straight back here. He’s a whiny kid. Not a tough bone in his body. He cries over every tiny thing and he still wets the bed on a regular basis. He clings onto people and when you leave pitches the biggest fit. Has some sorrt of attachment disorder they think. He hates being alone for anything longer than a few minutes. I’m sure you’re a busy man Mr. Stark and let me tell you that these two aren’t a match for you.”

“You haven’t said a positive word about either of them.” Tony couldn’t help but point out in shock. “I’m not expecting perfection from them.”

“Who are we talking about?” Deb entered the office to grab some papers and paused to read over her husband’s shoulder. “Somebody wants the Parkers? Good, please take them. Those two are such a pain in my ass.”

“Deb,” Tom glared at her. “We have a client.”

“Do you want me to sugarcoat it?” She asked before looking to see Tony Stark on the other side of the desk. “Holy shit, some millionaire wants them? Well, shit, if they can behave for once they could have it made. I guess if anyone could whip Harley into shape it might be Stark.”

“So what do I have to sign?” Tony was not about to believe a word from these hateful owners. He fully intended to get a clearer picture of treatment here and as soon as he could report them to the state. 

Tom looked at him in surprise, but seemed to know when to stay quiet. He gave Tony the forms to sign and informed him of state mandated visits he had to pass before the adoption would go through. Sixty day trial period and then the state of New York would clear him to be a father to these two boys. 

Tony sure hoped his heart knew what the hell it was doing as he signed on the dotted line.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys don't exactly have the perfect first night Tony was hoping for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda short, and kinda not great. I'm trying and this is my first time writing any of these characters and not to mention it's an AU on top of it. I hope you like the peek into everyone else here. 
> 
> Clint isn't an asshole I promise. He just has the hardass cop thing down and he's going through some shit.
> 
> Peter is so cute and Harley is guarded as usual. trying to make sure I balance the two of them and their attention during the chapter. 
> 
> Hope you guys like this as much as the first and more to come as soon as I can

Tony was exhausted by the time he was approaching the Tower again. He could say he didn’t have the ability to feel the ache of emptiness that Pepper wasn’t waiting for him, but he had no idea what to do with these kids in his car. Peter was a bit easier to wrap his head around. The kid just hadn’t been shown much love or decency in his young life and he could fix that easily enough. The kid was adorable, polite, and smart. He was full of shy smiles for him and hope in his large brown eyes. He still had the mentality that the world was a forgiving place and that this was his chance. 

Harley was the challenge Tony had no idea how to begin with. He didn’t like the fact that Tony was a billionaire, that much was obvious at the scoff when he saw a top of the line car outside the group home. He was defensive, and lashed out with his tongue more than anything. He was full of anger and sarcasm to the brim. He normally answered when Tony asked Peter a question, and he had watched Tony the entire drive back. He wouldn’t directly answer anything so when Tony pulled up to his parking garage he still knew absolutely nothing about Harley Parker at all. 

“Well, here’s home,” Tony said lamely as they came to a stop. He smiled to see Peter asleep against the window and Harley looked reluctant to wake his brother. 

“You had no plan of adopting kids today, did you?” Harley asked him as the two of them watched Peter sleep. 

“Not exactly,” Tony decided honesty was best with the teen who had probably been lied to most of his life. 

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” The question hit below the belt, and Tony had to remind himself these kids had a right to pry into his life. They wanted to know what they were getting into. “Does she know about us? I don’t need another freaked out screaming bitch in Peter’s face when he goes in there. He’s… Well, he thinks this is going to be different.”

“Pepper isn’t a bitch,” Tony said sharply, his anger spiking. Harley tensed and flinched just slightly. His temper was the first thing he would have to get perfect control of. “She isn’t my girlfriend any longer. She didn’t want kids when I did. It’s just me and the two of you that are going to live in the suite.”

The spike of anger was enough for Harley to be speechless it seemed and he focused on his brother, running a hand through his curls and gently waking him. Peter made a noise of protest that had Tony’s heart melting yet again as he watched the younger boy scrunch up his nose and yawn. 

“Are we here?” Peter looked confused at the dinghy underground parking. 

“We’re home,” Tony told him and watched Peter’s eyes light up at the word and get out of the car. Harley rolled his eyes and got out as well. Tony opened the trunk of the car to get out the single bag of belongings the brothers had between them. It was mostly run down clothes and a teddy that was under Peter’s pillow in their room. He led the boys to the elevator off the garage and Peter was awestruck watching them shoot up the side of the tower and watch New York get a bit smaller underneath them. Harley always seemed to have eyes on Peter no matter what else was going on. He stood close to his brother on the elevator and put a hand on his arm when he leaned over the railing to get a vaster look all around them. 

Tony strolled out of the elevator and was just wondering which rooms the boys would like when he was unpleasantly reminded that he had a net worth of billions and he had already been kidnapped once in his life. Disappearing really didn’t go over well when you ran Stark Industries.

“How the hell could you just leave and not even bother answering my calls?” Happy was standing in his living room looking livid and relieved to see him all at once. “You can’t hire me to be head of security and then just disappear on me! I even called Rhodey to see if you went off with him after Pepper left.”

Happy was no small guy and his voice was loud and carrying even when he was calm. When he was angry it boomed and echoed easily. Tony was good friends with Happy, not to mention growing up with Howard, and he wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. However a small ten year old boy would definitely be alarmed by his first impression of his new home including a large man raising his voice. 

Tony ignored Happy completely to see Peter had backed up against the wall and was obviously terrified. Harley was already by the boy’s side, trying to soothe him quietly but with Happy still going on in the background he wasn’t getting far. 

“Put a lid on it, “ Tony snapped to his head of security and went over to Peter while internally facepalming. Of course things had to get off to a rocky start. 

“Pete, you’re okay,” Tony said softly as he squatted down by the two. 

“I thought you said nobody would be screaming at us?” Harley said snarkily with a gentle hand on Peter’s shoulder. 

“I actually said Pepper wasn’t here,” Tony corrected him with a roll of his eyes. “The security I didn’t plan on.”

“Guessing he gets the job done plenty well,” Harley glanced back at a stunned Happy to find two boys accompanying his boss. “Peter doesn’t do well with raised voices. He gets scared.”

“S-s-sorry,” Peter seemed to realize he had over-reacted to the situation and seemed embarrassed by it. He was wiping at hot tears that had welled up. “I-I just got s-scared. I-”

“Come here, kiddo,” Tony reached out to pull him into his arms gently. Harley’s eyes were locked onto him but all he cared about was the shaking boy in his arms. “It’s okay to be scared. That’s kind of why Happy has his job.”

“His name is Happy?” Harley said with a snort of surprised laughter. 

“What the hell, Tony,” Happy muttered, but a lot more quietly this time around. Tony rubbed Peter’s back gently as the kid calmed himself down slowly. He stood close to Tony as a door opened and Nat and Rhodey came in the room, no doubt attracted by the yelling. Tony sighed and wondered if first impressions could get worse than this. 

“You….adopted today,” Natasha said slowly as she put the picture together pretty quickly. Rhodey stared at him with the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. Harley seemed to be growing more nervous now that he was most definitely outnumbered by adults in the room. On the other hand, Peter seemed content now that he was huddled close to Tony and now seemed more curious than anything. 

“I adopted Harley,” Tony gestured to the teen standing a few feet away and then ran a hand through Peter’s hair. The action surprised him and he didn’t miss the way the kid leaned into the touch. “And this is Peter. They’re brothers I met today and I decided they’d be great additions here. Anyone order dinner?”

“Chinese,” Rhodey finally spoke and Tony saw his heart was already stolen by Peter, the way his own was in less than a minute. Nat just shook her head laughing, and Tony didn’t question for a moment that it was at him. 

“Well, I need to show these two their rooms and stuff,” Tony said awkwardly, needing a minute to process how his entire family had found out in less than an hour. “So, we will be right back.” He jerked his head for Harley to follow as he lead Peter away from the other three adults. They entered the quiet hallway and Tony heard the other three move to the living room area. He sighed quietly and opened what he had half imagined to be Peter’s room. 

“So, Peter, this will be your room,” Tony told the boy who still hadn’t moved from his side. The boy looked around in wonder at what was probably the largest bedroom he’d ever seen. There was a bay window overlooking the city and a window seat on the far wall. Right now there was a queen sized bed, but he would probably get Peter something smaller? Or maybe he would let the kid keep it since he would grow into it anyways? A twin bed was normal or kids, but was it absolutely required? 

“You lived here alone, before us?” Harley asked him, no doubt sizing up just how large his penthouse suite was. 

“Yeah, I did,” Tony nodded and couldn’t help watching Peter as the boy slowly walked over to the window in awe. 

“So, you’re using us to not be alone.” Tony opened his mouth to protest Harley’s inaccurate conclusion, but then the teen only shrugged. “I’ve been taken home for worse reasons I guess.”

“I’ll bet you have,” Tony said softly, only imagining what this teenager had lived through. 

“I get this whole bed?” Peter asked, perched on the edge of the queen mattress and looking at them. 

“You can have whatever kind of bed you want,” Tony told him with a grin. “We can get you a smaller bed, or you can go ahead and keep that one and we’ll buy you some cool sheets for it.”

Peter giggled as he proceeded to roll across the bed, giving Tony a heart attack as he almost fell off the far side, before rolling back again. Harley rolled his eyes, but Tony could see a tiny smile on his face too. 

“I’m showing Harley his room, you coming Peter?” Tony asked the kid, still occupied with the bed. Peter hopped off and eagerly went out into the hall ahead of them. “So my room is at the end of the hall, feel free to come get me any time. Harley will be across the hall from you, Pete. You both have bathrooms attached to your rooms and there’s another bathroom off of the kitchen area. We are the only ones who live on this floor, though Rhodey occasionally stays around for a few days in the guest suite. The redhead is my best friend and she lives a floor down from me. “ Tony opened the door to the last empty room on this side of the penthouse. The room was a tad smaller than Peter’s, but it was still the size of a living room. This room had the same size bed, walk in closet, and an en suite bathroom. The feature of the room was double french doors with a private balcony outside. Tony really hoped it wasn’t a mistake giving a teenager access to a private balcony. 

“Thank you,” Harley said quietly, but it sounded obligatory rather than heartfelt. Tony glanced at him, but the teenager wore a blank expression. 

“We can change anything you want,” Tony offered to him. “We can paint and buy whatever furniture you want to put in it. I know I went a bit overboard on the size, but we’ll make it cozy with some time.”

“It’s good,’ Harley said firmly and only now did Tony notice that he had his bag slung over his shoulder. “I just want to unpack before dinner. I’ll help Peter unpack too.”

Tony glanced at them one last time before he went out to face his friends. Nat and Rhodey were on the couch still, and he noticed the room had filled up quite a bit in his absence. He hadn’t told the kids yet that he had most of the 13th precinct of Manhattan living under him. Thor and his partner Bruce shared one of three apartments one floor down. Natasha took the middle apartment to herself while none other than Captain Steve Rogers and his best bud James Barnes took the last free apartment. Tony was grateful normally for the full house he often got by association, but not with two timid kids down the hall. Everyone had migrated upstairs to wait for the food and seeing Steve for the first time being a single man had Tony’s stomach flipping. His crush on Steve had been a running joke for a while, but nobody other than Nat knew it ran deeper than simple admiration. 

“When I said you needed kids, I didn’t mean today,” Nat said to him quietly, holding out a glass of whiskey to him. Tony wanted it, truly, but maybe not until the kids were in bed at least. He waved away the offered glass and opted to gaze at the mountains of food over his kitchen island. “I invited the group over before your surprise guests showed up.”

“I needed to maybe ask Bruce for favor anyways,” Tony admitted. He finally focused on Nat’s face and the enormity of what he had done started to hit him. “Holy fucking hell, Nat, what did I just do? I just went to see one place and I fell in love with Peter right away. Not to mention he was being treated like shit and then all of a sudden this teenager shows up and I couldn’t just separate brothers so I took them both.”

“Who knew I would ever become an aunt,” Nat mused with a sip of her white wine. “They seem like sweet kids so far. You’ve got your work cut out for you. At least you already have a village in place.”

“We’re going to ‘it takes a village’ mentality already?” Tony asked, shaking his head. “Did you get me sesame?”

“Is the sky still blue?” She retorted, snagging one of the containers. “You gonna let your kids meet everyone?”

“If you guys can promise to behave-” Tony trailed off when he saw Clint Barton in the group as well as the usual bunch. “Natasha, you seriously invited Clint over. Again? You’re torturing yourself. Not to mention helping him avoid whatever the hell he’s got going on at home.”

“Told her that,” Rhodey appeared behind him to squeeze Tony’s shoulder. “I’m glad to see you’re doing something good when you go off the grid for a change. I do think you almost gave Happy a heart attack.”

“I’ll make it up to him,” Tony said with a wave of his hand. “How long should it take kids to unpack a garbage bag full of stuff?”

“They’re done and probably intimidated.” Rhodey summarized as he stole a piece of chicken. “Want me to get this group out the door with their food?”

“Hi,” A tiny voice piped up and Peter was again at Tony’s side with a happy flush to his cheeks. “We’re all done.”

“I’m so sorry!” Harley was out of breath as he was steps behind Peter. “I told him to wait until people left. Please, Mr. Stark, don’t be angry with him. He’s just excited and he really has better manners-”

“Woah, woah,” Tony was absolutely shocked at the rambling coming from Harley and the fear plain in the teen’s eyes. “Hold up for a second, okay? I wanted you two to come eat while the food is fresh. These are people that all live in the tower a floor below us so you’ll see them a lot actually. They’re all good people here I promise.”

Harley was about to answer when he caught sight of Bucky’s long brown hair and went a shade paler all at once. Peter was caught up talking to Natasha already, though his stutter was back full force now. Tony was about to ask what was wrong when Clint spotted the two of them and immediately walked toward them. Harley took a step back and paled even more at the sight of the cop. 

“Harley Parker?” Clint asked in surprise. Tony had initially liked Clint a lot, but loyalty to his best friend caused a sour feeling in his stomach whenever he was around. Nat may love him, but he sure hadn’t done her any favors. “How are you here?”

“How do you know Harley?” Tony demanded, unnerved by how still Harley had gone and how his smart mouth seemed to disappear. 

“I’ve detained this kid at least six times in the last few months.” Clint explained, eyeing the teenager warily. “I kinda wondered what happened to him when it all stopped suddenly.”

“LIke you give a fuck,” Harley muttered, seeming to find his voice again, though Tony could tell he was uncomfortable. 

“Did I hear the name Parker?” Bucky asked, ambling over with a plate piled high of lo mein noodles and chicken. “Harley, it’s good to see you when I don’t have to play the bad guy.”

“Hello Officer Barnes,” Harley said quietly and it was the most respect Tony seen him show anyone. 

“What, you run out of spray paint?” Clint played the comment off as a joke, but Harley still went stiff as a board and Tony grew more concerned by the minute. 

“Clint, give the kid a break,” Bucky said sharply. “Vandalism is not the end of the world. Don’t act like it personally offends you.”

“That’s hardly the worst thing we’ve caught him doing,” Clint answered, crossing his arms. 

“I went back to foster care,” Harley told them, answering them both. His hands were shaking before he stuck them in his pockets and Tony wanted so badly to just hug him already. “After Barton took me home when I asked him not to I got sent back.”

“How do you know Tony?” Bucky looked between them curiously, his blue eyes trying to put pieces together before having an answer. Bucky was nice enough, and Tony had no real problem with him unless he read too far into his relationship with Steve. 

“Harley is my son,” Tony said, saving the boy from handling the conversation. “I adopted him today.”

“Mr. Stark is my foster parent,” Harley corrected, brown eyes guarded again. “I should have figured the billionaire of Manhattan would know all the cops.”

“Let’s get you some food,” Tony really wanted this weird conversation to end as soon as it could. “I’m sure there’s something left for the two of us.”

“I want to go to my room,” Harley said quickly and pulled away from Tony. “I’m tired and not really hungry.” 

“I’ll check on you in a bit,” Tony decided to concede since it had been a long day for all of them. The teen wasted no time in disappearing down the hall and his door shut firmly behind him. 

“Harley is a good kid,” Bucky was behind him, as though he wanted to find out anything he could from their connection. “He gives Clint trouble a lot, but he’s been through a lot. I’ve met the boys on wellness checks called by neighbors.”

“Not enough to remove them?” Tony asked, hoping his suspicions about the foster system were false. Bucky sighed and put his plate aside while a sadness entered his blue eyes. 

“I’ve taken them a time or two to a different group home for the night. Or they’ve stayed with me at the station for a few hours while we waited for a social worker to figure out what to do. Harley’s been a fighter since he was twelve and I met him. We’ve picked him up out of a fight here and there, or shoplifting sometimes.” The officer ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. “I’m not trying to put you off of him. Harley needs a good home. Someone who will bother to look out for him. He hasn’t had a lot of that from what I can tell.”

“Well, I’m going to try and do my best with him,” Tony rubbed a hand over his upper lip and tried to process this new information. “Mostly I’ll try to keep him out of the station if I can help it.”

“Tony,” Natasha appeared with Peter by her side, his eyes red and sniffling yet again. “He spilled some punch and I think he’s overwhelmed a bit.”

“You tired, bud?” Tony knelt down by the young boy and rubbed his shoulder. “It’s been a long day, yeah?”

“I w-want Harley,” Peter said around half a sob as he noticed he was surrounded by adults again. “P-p-please let me s-see him.”

“Uh, Harley went to bed I th-” Before Tony could finish the teen was by them and hugging Peter to him. He must have somehow known Peter would want him, or he heard the sniffling from his room. He wouldn’t look at anyone but Peter as he led his brother to the hallway with him. Tony watched them go with a sadness filling him. They had only ever had one another in this life and he wondered if he was ever going to gain their trust after so long being alone. 

So much for the perfect first night together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is admittedly a week late because I had a really shit week so I'm sorry about that. Back to writing and hope you like this chapter. Tony starts to get somewhere with these boys this time and it's great. Bucky will come back next chapter as well as the rest of the gang. Thanks for reading and your kind comments!!!

If Tony had thought the first night was hard to get through… Well, nothing could have prepared him for being throw into fatherhood.

 

He sat up blearily as FRIDAY informed him that Peter was in acute distress from a nightmare for the fifth night in a row.  The poor boy really never got a break from whatever haunted his dreams and his could rival Tony’s own nightmares he had from time to time.  He rubbed his face and knew he had to at least go check on him, even if Harley would already be there and likely wouldn’t let him anywhere near Peter.  

 

“T-Tony?” Harley’s quiet voice came from his doorway and even if Tony couldn’t see him he was instantly concerned by the way his voice was so timid.  He knew the teen was scared as hell of living with yet another man who could do so many terrible things, not that Tony would dream of any of them, but he always had so much bravado to him that he never let that show.

 

“Harley, it’s okay,” Tony said quietly as he turned on a lamp beside him.  Soft light bathed the room and he could just barely make out the boy lingering in his doorway.  “What’s wrong, bud?”

 

“I j-just wanted to know where t-the clean sheets were,’ The teen seemed to have adopted his younger brother’s stutter and it made Tony’s heart break.  The boys had been with him for a week now, and the real work was only beginning. These poor boys were broken in so many ways. 

 

“Peter needs help?” Tony assumed, remembering the unpleasant side effects of some of his worst nightmares.  “I can come help you guys. I don’t mind.” He got out of bed and as he got closer he noticed that the skin around Harley’s eye was far from his usual pale complexion.  

 

“Hey, hey, where did this come from?” Tony placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and gently brushed his fingers over the bruised skin.  

 

“Pete was still out of it,” Harley muttered as his cheeks turned pink.  “He didn’t mean to do it. It…. This was a bad one.” 

 

“Let’s get you something cold for your eye,” Tony told him gently and steered him out of the bedroom.  His train of thought completely changed when he heard sobs the second he left his bedroom. They were quiet, but desperate and tugged at Tony’s heart.  “Harley, go get something from the freezer and wrap it in a towel for your eye. I’ll meet you in Peter’s room, alright?”

 

Harley paused for a long moment before reluctantly nodding.  Tony watched him go for a moment before quickly walking to the younger boy’s bedroom.  The poor boy still sat in the dark on his bed and was crying so hard it shook his entire body.   He was hunched in on himself, looking miserable and alone. 

 

“Lights at twenty percent,FRI,” Tony said quietly and the lights came on enough for them to see each other clearly.  He went to the bed and sat down on the side of it, noting the dark stain that Peter was desperately curled away from at the head of the bed.  

 

“Hey kiddo,” Tony said to him, unaware his voice could be that soft and caring.  “You’re okay, I promise. You’re with me and you’re safe.” 

 

“N-not safe,’ Peter muttered as he hugged himself.  That just wasn’t going to cut it and Tony reached out a hand to the scared child with his palm turned upward.  An offer of comfort, of safety. 

 

“C’mere sweetheart,” Tony murmured and the endearment had no permission from his brain to slip through.  It seemed to do something to Peter’s exhausted and frightened mind though and he looked at Tony with those brown eyes blown wide with fear and filled with tears.  He knew what the kid wanted and needed, but too scared to ask for. This could end horribly, but Tony was going on instinct rather than logic. He pulled Peter gently by the hand into his arms and stood up with him latched around his waist.  

 

Just like that Tony held his boy in his arms for the first time, and nothing else in the world mattered.  

 

Peter was hardly a baby, but Tony loved his scent immediately.  HIs frantic heartbeat was felt as their chests were pressed together and while the wetness getting on his own pajama pants should have grossed him out, he didn’t spare it a second thought.  Tony swayed them gently and rubbed the boy’s back soothingly. Peter’s face was hidden in his neck and tears were falling onto his skin as a result. The shaking slowly stopped as he rested in Tony’s arms and the tears slowed.

 

“Good boy,” Tony praised him as he hugged him close.  “There we go, that better kiddo?”

 

Peter nodded silently with a death grip around him.  Tony wished they could stay like this, but he was sure Peter was uncomfortable and would quickly be mortified as he calmed down.  He glanced up to see Harley watching them closely with an expression Tony couldn’t read. He knew Harley didn’t exactly trust him with his brother, but he was trying to change his mind.  Tony also knew he liked to be involved when it came to Peter. 

 

“Want to go start a warm bath?” Tony quietly asked the teen.  “We’ll get him in the bath since he’s pretty sleepy for a shower.  Meanwhile I can change his sheets for him.” 

 

His requests were followed without a word and Harley disappeared into the bathroom.  Tony went to set Peter down as his back was aching fiercely by now, but the small whimper that he heard made him hug Peter close, even if he was now on the ground.  “How does a bath sound, bud? You can clean up and I can make your bed with fresh, warm sheets okay? Maybe some hot chocolate when you’re done?”

 

“How come you aren’t mad?” Peter asked him after a moment, his head dropping to Tony’s chest.  

 

“It would be kind of silly to get mad over some sheets,’ Tony said slowly, anger filling him that Peter was used to a reaction of anger.  “NIghtmares aren’t something anyone can control. I’m never going to be mad at you for this.” Or anything else, his mind supplied and Tony sighed softly in agreement with his thoughts.  

 

“Are you okay, Peter?” Harley asked his brother, seeming to come back to his usual self now.  The black eye stood out more starkly as the minutes went by, and it looked painful, accident or not.  “Come get cleaned up, alright?”

 

“Kay,” Peter mumbled, stumbling to the bathroom and timidly shutting the door behind him, leaving the other two to stare at one another.  Tony moved to get the sheets from the top shelf of the closet and couldn’t help smiling from the memory of holding Peter in his arms. He knew this didn’t make things easy, and that Peter hardly fully trusted him that easily, but it was a step in the right direction.  

 

“The only reason you aren’t mad is because you don’t do any laundry,” Harley’s voice was defensive and cold as he stripped the bed sharply, tugging the sheets like they had personally wronged him somehow.  “You can stop smiling all smug like you’re a damn saint. They all make it through one bad night, you just grumble less than the rest.”

 

“Laundry is hardly a factor in this,” Tony snapped in return, confused as to why everything he did was never enough for this kid.  “I’m not mad because I want the two of you in my life and having nightmares is something ridiculous to get angry about. Your mouth, on the other hand, is something I’m growing quickly tired of.”

 

“Sorry you didn’t get a stupid kid,” Harley snapped back as he threw the sheets in the hamper with the tail end knocking over some of Peter’s Star Wars figures to hit the wall with a thump.  Tony reflexively glanced to the bathroom door where Peter probably heard the thud and no doubt it made him nervous in his already worked up state. 

 

“Go to bed, Harley,” Tony said firmly, folding his arms and nodding toward the door.  “You’re tired enough and I don’t need your anger here right now. Peter is terrified and it’s going to take a while to get him back to sleep as it is.”

 

“You can’t keep me from Peter!” Harley’s voice rose and his eyes were wide, also staring at the closed door.

 

“I would never,” Tony said calmly.  “It’s no secret that you’ve hardly slept any more than Peter has this week, and it’s made you short-tempered.  You will see Peter as soon as you get some sleep. Go on.”

 

Harley either finally saw his reasoning, or he had pushed boundaries as far as he was brave enough to.  He glared at Tony before heading off to his own room. Tony felt the slight tension leave his shoulders and decided to check on the little boy in the bath.  He knocked gently and slowly opened the door to see Peter dozing off in the bath. A shock of panic went through him at the thought of Peter slipping under the water, but he was relieved that the boy hadn’t heard him fighting with his brother after all.  

 

“Hey buddy,” Tony ran a hand through the boy’s damp hair softly to wake him.  “I think you’ve pruned up enough for one night. Ready to get back to bed?”

 

Peter was too tired to speak, but he clumsily got to his feet and Tony wrapped him in a towel immediately, steadying him so he wouldn’t fall.  Soon enough Peter was sitting on his bed again, dressed in clean pajamas and reluctant to get under the covers. 

 

“Hot chocolate?” Tony offered, knowing how a bed could look the least welcoming after experiencing only the horrors your mind could make up.  Peter smiled at him widely and eagerly led the way to the kitchen. He seated himself on a barstool to watch Tony make their hot drinks. Tony couldn’t help smiling at him, despite it being the middle of the night and his gut churned with worry about Harley.  He didn’t know what approach to take with the kid, but he was trying to do his best. 

 

With two mugs in hand he nodded towards the couches and Peter obediently followed him.  Tony collapsed in a corner cushion and he noted how Peter sat much closer to him than he ever had before.  He might not have made any progress with Harley, but he might be starting to with Peter at any rate. He carefully handed one drink over and picked a movie Peter had talked about earlier that week.  

 

It wasn’t long before Peter was drifting and Tony was quick to catch his mug before it could spill.  He toed open the ottoman and fished out a blanket from within to drape over them both. He propped his feet up and carefully maneuvered the child so he was resting against him.  Peter’s eyes blinked open blearily for a moment, but the warmth was too much for him to resist so he cuddled closer and Tony felt that warmth in his heart again. He put an arm around Peter to keep him warm and safe and that’s how they both fell asleep.

 

~~~

 

Tony woke to soft voices and he instantly knew his neighbors had invaded his kitchen yet again.  He should probably make some boundaries now that he had the boys. He was about to sit up when he felt the warm weight on his side and remembered he had Peter with him.  He glanced down and it was too damn early to have his heart melting this way. Peter was sound asleep, his face smooth and peaceful in sleep. Curls had fallen over his head and Tony brushed them away gently, surprised at how easily this sort of simple affection came to him.  Lord knows he never had any growing up from his father. 

 

“I’m not invading Natasha, I’m trying to help,” A voice finally rose above the murmurs and Tony could pick up Steve Rogers smooth tone anywhere. He closed his eyes again, mortified that Steve had seen him like this, in a ratty old shirt asleep on his couch.  Despite popular belief he didn’t actually sleep in silk. Again, that was a Howard Stark thing. It had been satisfying to see silk burn actually after he died. 

 

“You printed up a list of schools for him,’ Nat’s voice was full of disbelief.  “Then you have a bunch of shit about abused and distressed children. Tony adopted them Steve, and I’m sure has probably already done this.”  Nat was wrong there. “You always think you know what’s best in every damn situation.”

 

“Are you referring to having you and Clint partnered?” Steve asked quietly and Tony was careful to keep absolutely still.  He was not prepared to enter this conversation in any way.

 

“No,” Natasha denied sarcastically.  “Why on earth would I refer to that?”

 

“I know how you feel-” Steve started and Tony could have easily told him that was a mistake.  

 

“Information you are only privy to because I told you,” Natasha bit out.  “I told you as a friend and then you still fucking put me with the guy.”

 

“I offered to transfer you to a different precinct.”  Nat hadn’t told him that at all. “You denied and said you would be just fine.”

 

“I was partnered with Thor at the time, which is why.  I was just fine as long as I wasn’t stuck with Barton forty hours of my week.  Then your best friend complained and all of a sudden he’s with Thor while I’m stuck back with Clint.”  He heard a clatter and desperately hoped Nat wouldn’t chip another one of his mugs. She really should stop getting so angry in his kitchen.  

 

“You two are a seamless team,” Steve sounded weary of the conversation already and Tony somehow knew they had had it many times before.  “I can’t just ignore that the way partners are gets us the best results.”

 

Tony lost track of the conversation when he felt Peter move against him and give a small yawn as he woke.  Tony ran a hand through his curls again before remembering he was only supposed to do that when the boy was asleep.  Peter nuzzled his hand though and slowly opened his brown eyes. 

 

“Did we fall asleep here?” Peter asked shyly as he looked around.  “I guess I still missed that movie.”

 

“I missed most of it too, don’t worry we can watch it again later if you want to,” Tony told him quietly.  “You want some breakfast?”

 

“Um, if you’re making some, but I can wait,” Peter was a tad better at saying if he wanted something, but still in a roundabout way.  It was better than the silence he got at the beginning of the week. Tony had also gotten better at remembering three meals a day were more normal for kids than one.  

 

“Nat, the bacon!” Steve said loudly and at the same moment the smell of burnt food filled his nose.  Tony sighed and went to sort out this mess. Steve glanced over at him and Tony ducked his head from the sharp blue gaze as he shuffled over to the stove to assess the damage.  Nat had started to make them breakfast, but during her discussion she had forgotten about the bacon. It was already black and making more smoke than Tony thought it could. 

  
“I’m sorry,” Nat apologized to him as she quickly turned off the skillet.  “I really was trying to do something nice for you and the boys, but then I got caught up and-”

 

“You’re a decent cook until one thing distracts you,” Tony sighed and wrinkled his nose at the smell.  “Steve, open a window could you?”

 

“Yeah, I got it,’ Steve got up and disappeared out of his line of sight.  Tony absolutely didn’t look at his ass as he walked away, nope not even a glance.  

 

He heard coughing and looked over to see Peter caught in a coughing fit just as he was going down the hall to his room to get dressed.  He had one hand on the wall and the other hand on his chest. Tony frowned and thought that was pretty odd. Peter was fine just a minute ago.  He was about to say something to Peter when his older brother showed up and seemed even more concerned than Tony if possible. 

 

“Peter?  Are you okay?” Harley asked him quietly as he knelt in front of the boy nearly doubled over coughing.

 

“Hurts,’ Peter got out as he fought to catch his breath.  “Smoke, Harley. Burned bacon. Kitchen.”

 

“Fuck,” Harley swore quietly and went tearing off to his room.  Tony nwo knew there was something he didn’t know here and when it came to Peter’s health it wasn’t exactly okay.  

 

“Pete, try and take deep breaths,” Tony coached him gently,  unsure if he should touch him or not. Peter tried to do as he said once, but whimpered in pain and shook his head.  Tony was feeling panic creep up and wondered if he should call an ambulance since his kid couldn’t fucking breathe, but he refrained only because neither of the boys seemed particularly alarmed by this.  

 

“Pete, do you know where your inhaler is? I can’t fucking find it,” Harley came racing back down the hallway, dropping to his knees and ignoring Tony completely.  

 

“Inhaler?” Tony repeated, eyes widening at a vital piece of information he never knew.  “What even -- Does Peter have asthma Harley?”

 

“I dunno,” Peter’s words were weaker than before and the coughing wasn’t letting up even with the smoke mostly cleared out by now.  

 

“Here kiddo, use mine,” Steve didn’t hesitate to cut in and handed the inhaler to the kid.  Peter’s hands shook and he dropped it instantly. He was wheezing now and his brown eyes were scared once again.  Steve sat right down in the hall and had Peter lean against him so he could hold the inhaler up to his pale lips. He took three puffs of it and fisted the fabric of Steve’s pants as he still fought to take even breaths.  Tony could see it was getting easier and honestly his heart couldn’t take all of this in one morning. 

 

“Harley, meet me outside, now,” Tony told the teen and decided he needed to get a few things straight while Peter recovered from that ordeal.  Harley seemed to wince, but apparently didn’t want to fight Tony this early in the morning. He followed Tony outside and huddled against the railing when the door clicked shut.  

 

Tony took a few deep breaths himself and tried to keep his temper completely calm.  He was furious Harley hadn’t told him this kind of information, that neither of them had.  He was at a loss of how to make Harley or Peter trust him, and it seemed the stakes were higher than he thought.  

 

“I know you don’t particularly like me,” Tony started as he folded his arms and surveyed the young man in front of him.  He looked so young in pajamas and Tony knew he had gone through so much, but he had to set some ground rules. “I know you don’t trust any adult because not a single one has given you a reason to.  I know that right now you are barely sleeping at night because it’s somewhere new with some guy you don’t know if you can trust with yourself or with your brother.” Tony sighed again and knelt down next to Harley and looked up at him, catching his eye as much as possible.  “I’m not going anywhere Har, not ever. I don’t care what you tell me about Peter or yourself. I don’t care what you’ve done or what you do next. I’m not leaving you. I’m not leaving either of you.”

 

“Yes you will,” Harley said, though his voice didn’t sound as confident as it normally did.  “They all leave us. There’s always something that’s too much to handle or - or something. They always have some excuse to leave and I can’t let it happen this time.  We can’t go back, please Tony, we can’t. Peter -- He wont’ -- He can’t go back.”

 

“I may not understand what it’s like to have to change caregivers every few months,’ Tony told him, taking Harley’s trembling hand in his.  “I have been left by countless people in my life and I know it’s hard to believe it won’t happen forever. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re always too much to handle.  I don’t think you two are too much to handle. I really don’t. You need to let me show you that I’m not leaving at the first sign of trouble.”

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Harley admitted softly.  Despite his wary posture he had a tight grip on Tony’s hand and that black eye kept hurting Tony the more he looked at it.  “Tom forgot to tell you probably, or I’m not even sure if he knows. I always handle Peter’s asthma attacks without telling them.  I always handle everything to do with Peter as much as I can.”

 

“You’re a fantastic brother Harley,” Tony told him gently.  “Peter couldn’t ask for better.” He could relate to Harley more than the teen would ever know.  When he was sixteen at MIT he always tried to take care of everything alone, or ignore problems the best he could.  He never knew how to ask for help from anyone after years of his father telling him to quit being a baby about things.  He knew how hard it was to shoulder things alone at that age and to feel like you have nobody to rely on. 

 

Breaking the cycle of shame is what he once called what he wanted to do, and it started here.   

 

Harley shivered in his tee and Tony let them both go back inside where Peter was sitting at the table with color back in his face.  Harley darted to his side with a quick hug and some quiet words. Tony rubbed a hand through his hair and felt like he had at least started to make a dent when Peter called for him to join them with a wide smile on his face.  


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys....I feel like I'm so bad at this sometimes. haha. OKay this chapter we start school but if Tony thought that would free up his day that's not exactly true. These poor poor sweet boys I swear. I hope you guys like this and stuff. Let me know what you think please!!

As Tony woke up before seven to make sure the boys got off to school he seriously doubted whether he could do this for the next eight years until Peter graduated.  HIs parents had gotten out of this kind of thing three years early by sending him off to college, not that he could remember his parents ever seeing him off to school in his life.  They had had a butler for that after all. 

 

He had only gotten Peter back to sleep around two, and here it was barely five hours later when he was expected to be late.  He should get up now, if he wanted to be a good dad that is. Good dads got up with their kids to see them off to school and such.  Good dads packed lunches and knew stuff about their kids lives, except if you were a foster dad and then you were fucking clueless what happened before last month.  The boys hadn’t really told him anything about their last homes, but he could easily guess it was bad. 

 

Before he could throw the comforter off he had a bundle of best friend next to him, sticking her freezing feet against his calf.  

 

“Why the fuck are you here?” Tony hissed, flopping on his side to stare at her.  “Though I guess thanks for fully waking me up. I have to see the boys off to school anyways.”

 

“What if I only like him because he already has kids?” Natasha asked, voice muffled by the comforter she had pulled over her head.  “It’s the one thing that would turn most guys away, but he has them and that’s why I can’t let him go.”

 

“I think you like him for more than his offspring,” Tony said dryly.  “Why the fuck are you thinking about this at six in the morning?”

 

“It’s almost seven,” She countered, needing to be right.  “I don’t ever not think about this to be honest. Why do I have to be in love with my partner?  It’s seriously common sense. Romance in the workplace is bad. He’s picking me up in half an hour and I don’t think you get how good he smells in the morning.”

 

“You need to go on a date,” Tony told her, tugging the blankets down so he could see her face and having his heart ache when he saw she had been crying.  “You need to go out with a different man. If you were meant to be with him then it would happen, or some shit. You just need to please stop crying, sweetheart.”

 

“Christ, I must look bad if you’re pulling out pet names,” Nat grumbled, running both hands down her face.  “Doordash is delivering donuts for breakfast in about ten minutes.”

 

“That’s not what a good dad would serve,’ Tony said with a roll of his eyes.  “You also need to quit your addiction to donuts.”

 

“You don’t control me,” Nat stuck her tongue out at him.  “You do realize elementary schools don’t start until like nine, don’t you?”

 

“Harley has to leave in about twenty,” Tony sighed, not looking forward to seeing grumpy Harley this early in the morning.  The kid was hard enough to reach normally. Tony was grateful the teen had let him bond with Peter more and more over the last week and stopped keeping secrets about the younger Parker.  However, Harley was still a complete mystery to him. He never opened up about anything and hardly spoke much at all. He played with Peter happily and was an expert at getting his brother to giggle uncontrollably.  

 

“So I know you’re all about Dad mode right now,” Nat’s voice carried a nervous tint to it and Tony knew they had reached the real reason they were here.  “I have to in for my annual scan today at one and I… Well, if you can’t I get it believe me, but I wondered if you still had time to come with me?”

 

“PIck you up at twelve-thirty,” Toy told her without hesitation. Natasha had a scan every year to check up on the ovarian cancer she battled years ago.  The cancer which took so much from her for a year and a half. It was what had made them absolutely inseparable as friends, while at the same time making Nat and Clint’s relationship all the more complicated.   “We can get lunch afterward too, so tell Barton you’re taking the afternoon off.”

 

“You could always tell Captain for me,” Nat said coyly with a knowing smirk as she followed him offf the bed.  “Then you could casually drop a line about dinner and a movie.”

 

“Kids are normally a turn off to people who aren’t you,” Tony sighed and pulled on a sweatshirt.  “I don’t know if I can even think about asking him out now.”

 

“He helped you with Peter, didn’t he?” Nat reminded him as he opeened his bedroom door and made his way down the hall.  “He likes kids and he likes you-”

 

“Unconfirmed,” Tony cut her off before she could put any more ideas in her head.  He was about to continue on about how rejection was bad for him when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone gagging in the bathroom next to them and a toilet flush soon afterward.  All thoughts of banter with Nat let his mind as he realized it could only be one of his boys in there. 

 

“Later, and thanks,” Nat shot him a smile as she booked it down the hall to the elevator Tony rolled his eyes at her quick abandonment and was about to knock on the door when it swung open to reveal Harley dressed for school already and looking surprised to see him.  

 

“Are you alright?” Tony asked him, trying to find some hint of what was going on as he studied the teen’s face.

 

“FIne,” Harley grunted, brushing past him to the kitchen.  Tony followed and really needed caffeine before going into Dad mode to a teenager.  

 

“Wanna try again?  Throwing up in the hall bathroom doesn’t scream fine,” Tony quipped back at him, flicking on the coffee machine as Harley slumped on a barstool at the counter.

 

“It’s nothing,” Harley insisted.  “Why are you awake?”

 

“I’m seeing you off,” Tony said, quickly realizing that although he found the answer obvious this kid found it anything but.  “I wanted to make sure you got breakfast and stuff. Wish you luck on your first day.”

 

“Oh, “Harley said quietly and Tony watched as he swallwed quickly half a dozen times.  He wondered what had Harley on the edge this morning of such tender emotions. “That’s cool.”

 

“And that’s the donuts,” Tony sighed as Nat reappeared with a box in her hands.  Harley’s head snapped up and Tony saw his cheeks go pink when he saw Nat in nothing but her tank top and shorts she slept in.  The teen’s head ducked down quickly again to stare at his lap. He paused all thought as he stared at Harley while his still waking up brain put together the pieces.  

 

Oh Christ, Harley had a crush on Nat.  

 

It wasn’t like it was any wonder.  Natasha was incredibly beautiful and fit from her work with the NYPD, as well as sharp-tongued and smart to boot.  She was brash and brave and Tony knew without a doubt that any guy would be lucky to have her. Any teenager attracted to girls would pause when looking at Nat.  Tony forgot just how hot hormones ran when you were under the age of twenty. 

 

“It’s not the most nutritious, but it’s delicious,” Tony said as he pushed the box towards the teen.  “Eat something before you go. Unless you want cereal instead? Your stomach upset?”

 

“I…” Harley glanced one more time at Natasha who was stretching up to grab her mug she always used.  “I”m gonna go now. See you later.” 

 

Tony sighed heavily as his charge disappeared and Nat launched into another rant about her partner.  

 

What was this life he was making?

 

~~~

 

Peter was much happier when Tony dropped him off at school for the day and it made him feel like he was at least doing a little something right when he got that bright grin over Peter’s shoulder as he walked away.   Peter was unpredictable these days when he would be shy and closed off or open to affection and ready for some fun. That smile though was something Tony would never forget or tire of seeing. 

 

He forced himself to run some errands for SI and lament that Pepper was still on personal leave.  He missed her in his life, but in his business even more. She really kept things rolling and he had less time than ever for conference calls and time in his lab.  He kept himself more than a little busy until he had to meet Natasha.

 

The chaos of the station was something he was used to by now.  He had half this precinct living with him and so he had been here to visit more than a few times.  It was organized chaos and Tony made a beeline where Natasha was sitting at her desk on the phone to someone to do with business by her posture and tone.  He glanced a bit further to see Captain Rogers in his office, but not currently engaged in anything important if his glazed over blue eyes were anything to go by.

 

“Hey Cap,” Tony said, rapping his knuckles on the frame as he stuck his head inside.  “How goes your Monday?”

 

Rogers smiled and Tony felt his stomach flip as it always did.  He was such a kind man and Tony could easily talk to him about anything.   “Hi Tony, it’s alright. What brings you by?”   
  


“Nat,” Tony said with a shrug as if to say ‘why else?”  “I’m stealing her for a bit here.”

 

“Oh, doctor, right,” Steve said, nodding to himself.  “She mentioned that on Friday, but I forgot. Barton wanted the afternoon off too, for something or other.  How are your kids doing?”

 

“They’re good,” Tony said, a smile breaking over his face at the fact that he was able to talk about his own kids.  “They started up school today, or well school by me. Harley said he’s been to that high school before, but Peter seemed really excited about his.”

 

“Harley still giving you trouble?” Steve asked and Tony felt defensive even if it was somewhat a fair question.  

 

“He isn’t trouble,” Tony said immediately.  “Harley is just guarded and has been through a lot more than Peter.  We’re working on it.”

 

“I”m glad,” Steve smiled, hoping to probably soften his words.  “He could use some stability I’m sure.”

 

“Yeah,” Tony agreed, the niggle of uncertainty tugging at him that he had no right to be stability for anyone.  Not with the way he changed his mind on a whim and acted on it even faster. He had been reading blogs of foster parents.  Parents who had agonized for months over whether they were ready for a child and spent longer making sure their homes were perfect.  

 

Tony may have wanted kids for a long time, but once he decided to go for it, really and truly go for it, it took less than a week before he had two kids in his fortress tower he had built ages ago when he wanted to keep everyone out. 

 

“Would you like to get dinner?” Tony blurted before his mind could tell him this was a terrible idea.  Perhaps he really wanted to go all in and reinvent his life again. He’d done it before, but the pieces never fell truly into place.  “Dinner with me, somewhere fancy-ish and I’ll pay?”

 

“Like a date?” Steve honestly wore a look of pure shock.  Maybe Tony had only said it to see the grin on Nat’s face when he recounted the story later.  

 

“That’s what the kids call it these days, yeah,” Tony grinned, relieved it wasn’t a no right away.  

 

“Alright, sure,’ Steve’s face was unreadable and while he wasn’t the portraying the elation Tony was being consumed with, it was a start in the right direction.  

 

“Sorry, that call tied me up,” Natasha appeared next to him with her bag slung over her shoulder and her eyes the only give away of her nerves.

 

“Not a problem, Cap cleared you to go,” Tony assured her with one last smile toward Steve and leading Natasha outside.  The sun shone but he couldn’t say he appreciated it as Natasha’s nerves rubbed off on him. They’d been doing this for fifteen years now, and honestly it was probably unnecessary at this point.  The cancer probably wasn’t coming back by now, but the threat of a met popping up on a scan was so real for them both. 

 

“He remembered the date today,” Nat said suddenly as soon as Tony had turned onto the road.  “He knew i was getting a scan today and he asked about it. His eyes got all soft and concerned and he bought me trashy Starbucks which I love but he hates.  Then he mentions about how Laura didn’t save him dinner again and wouldn’t even bother saying goodnight. How he feels lonely and shit or whatever. Then he had to bring up our old tradition of Mexican food after every scan he used to take me to.  Y’know, before he decided my cancer baggage was too much and found Laura instead.”

 

“Clint is an idiot,’ Tony agreed with her and felt his heart ache that Natasha couldn’t let him go when it was clearly what was best right now.  

 

“I think I’m just not going to these anymore,” Nat said, staring out the window and hiding a few stray tears.  “They’re not even necessary by now, and all they do is bring up awful memories for everyone. All the shit I went through and nearly dying a few times and losing Cl-  Anyways, this is my last one.” 

 

“I don’t blame you for checking,” Tony told her, brushing the back of his hand against hers.  “I still lock my doors three times. I still check for validation through Rhodey after how many years since MIT? We are creatures of habit.”

 

“Thanks for supporting my paranoid habits,” Natasha said with a sigh as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.  He had just turned off the car to get out when his phone rang with an unfamiliar number popping up on the screen. He frowned at it for a minute and almost ignored it, but with kids in his life now there were a lot of unsaved numbers popping up.  

 

“Hello, this is Stark,” Tony answered, shooting Nat an apologetic smile where she sat with the door propped open and legs dangling out the side.  

 

“Hello Mr, Stark, this is Brookside Elementary calling for your son Peter,” The crisp voice of the secretary came over the line and Tony felt his heart rate kick up as the unknown struck him hard.

 

“What’s happened?  Is he alright?” Tony asked with urgency, slamming the keys into the ignition and starting the keys again.  Nat looked at him with her eyes narrowed and slowly got back in the car. 

 

“He’s alright,” The woman reassured him quickly.  “He’s just having a hard first day. It seems like he’s having an anxiety attack at best guess.  He’s asked for you several times so I thought it’d be best if we gave you a call.”

 

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Tony said firmly.  “Tell him I’m on my way please.” His heart ached at the thought of Peter crying during school, embarrassed and with nobody to comfort him.  He probably wasn’t used to being alone, having Harley with him all the time. “Nat, I gotta get my kid I”m sorry. Peter is having a hard time.”

 

“Let’s go,” She said impatiently and looking at him like he was an idiot for not already moving.

 

“What about your-” He was interrupted with Nat waving her hand for him to get moving and pulling out her phone.

 

“I’ll call and cancel now.  I told you this is my last one anyways.  Your kid is more important than some scan I don’t need.”  He shot her a grateful look as he fought traffic as quickly as he could to reach the school he had just been at a few hours ago.  He left the car running with Natasha and sprinted into the school and back to the front office. He was probably overreacting since Peter was physically fine and would be able to wait ten more seconds for him to reach him.  He spotted his kid immediately, looking so small in a stiff chair with red cheeks and tear tracks across his face. His hands were shaking in his lap and his chest was rising and falling with hitching breaths unevenly. 

 

“Hi Mr. Stark,” A young woman with honey blonde hair smiled at him, walking forward to stand next to Peter.  “Peter is having a bit of a rough first day. Some kids weren’t the nicest and it’s always hard adjusting to a new school.  He really wanted to see a friendly and familiar face.”

 

“Thank you,” Tony said distractedly, dropping to his knees in front of his youngest and gently wiping the last of his tears for now with the pad of his thumb.  “Hey bud, you doing okay?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Peter apologized and he had a hunch that maybe the shaking was partly out of fear at having to call him.  “I d-didn’t want them to call. I j-j-just… I-it was-”

 

“Shh, bambino, it’s okay,” Tony said softly, hating the soft stutter and the fresh tears that fell from those large brown eyes.  “You want to go home?”

 

Peter nodded miserably and Tony couldn’t help but to pick him up and hold him close so Peter could bury his face in his shoulder and have something to hold onto.  The boy trembled against him as he went back to the car much more slowly than he came in. 

 

Nat saw them coming and seamlessly slid into the driver’s seat as Tony got into the back with his son and simply held him, fingers running loosely through his curls as he felt Peter slowly relax between the physical comfort and the motion of the car.  Tony smiled to himself as he figured that Peter had definitely been that baby that had to be driven around so he would fall asleep. 

 

Once they were home Peter could walk again, though he stayed close to Tony all the way to their floor.   It wasn’t until they were on the couch tangled together under a blanket, Peter’s head resting on his chest after some coaxing with Tony sprawled out underneath the small boy that Peter got brave enough to speak at last.

 

“I thought you weren’t coming back,” Peter said softly with a movie playing in front of them.  Tony’s hand paused rubbing his back for a moment before continuing the rhythmic circles. “I… This kid was being kind of awful and I was trying to have fun, but then I thought that maybe you wouldn’t come back.  You’d just leave me there until the social worker came to get me.”

 

“Has that happened to you?” Tony asked softly.  They really had never talked about what Peter and Harley had been through before being here.  Tony was afraid to bring it up since the nightmares spoke volumes about what it had been like.

 

“Yeah,” Peter said quietly and Tony felt a tear hit his neck.  “Harley and I have been left so many different places, just abandoned out of nowhere.  Sometimes they tell us they’re running errands when really they went on vacation without us.”

 

“That must have felt awful,” Tony sympathized softly, feeling awful that these kids have felt nothing but abandoned their entire lives.  “I was going to come back, I promise Peter. I would never abandon you like that.”

 

“I know,” Peter said and Tony hoped some part of him really did.  “You’re the nicest parent we’ve ever had.”

 

“Why does Harley seem so scared of me?” Tony had to ask, even if it was hardly appropriate to ask a ten year old why his older brother acted the way he did.  

 

“I think it scares him more that you’re nice,” Peter said after a minute.  “He thinks it’s more to lose. He’s really really scared to go back to the home again.”

 

“I guess that does make sense,” Tony replied with a kiss to the curls tickling his chin.  “How about we get ice cream when Harley gets home, yeah? You two can both tell me all about your day after you have a nap.”

 

“Not tired!” Peter protested, but Tony could feel his limbs getting heavier by the second.  Tony played with his hair with his free hand and felt a heartfelt satisfaction that he could get his kid to sleep within ten minutes.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still here I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's been a really rough month guys and I'm so sorry for the lack of writing and updates, I truly am. I wanted to write this and on the upside another chapter is coming soon since I have most of the next one written. Thank you for your love in the comments and they keep me going in more ways than just writing. Hope you enjoy this and I love Harley so much in this fic.
> 
> TW for mentions towards self harm.

Tony was sick with worry, and not about the child he expected to be.

He had expected to worry about Peter after his breakdown on the first day of school, but after the first week Peter seemed to adjust pretty well and made it through school without too many problems. He wasn’t exactly making friends yet, but he had experience with how hard that was and that it took time to find the person you click with. School also seemed to exhaust Peter enough that his nightmares weren’t every single night.

Harley Parker was going to make him grey within the year at this rate on the other hand.

He truly had forgotten how difficult teenagers could be. How they were trying so hard to be adults when they didn’t have to be. They shut you out and bottled things up and made you crazy with worry. How did you approach a teenager, a teen who wasn’t even your own, about the problems that weren’t visible to the naked eye? Tony knew the kid wasn’t sleeping at all anymore. He knew Harley barely touched any food at the tower and that he was disinterested to say the least in his classes. He remembered they had mentioned Harley cutting class often, but Tony knew this was more than a dislike for homework and such. It could be bullying, but that seemed a little strange for a kid like Harley. He was quick with his words and didn’t hesitate with his fists too much. Bucky had told him he had picked him up for fighting more than once along with truancy and other petty things. 

He was truly at a loss here.

“Is your date tonight?” Nat asked from across the counter island where Tony sat sipping a cup of coffee. Right, that date with Steve. He hadn’t spoken to the man since inviting him to dinner, and he was fighting his insecurities telling him that Steve didn’t really want to go. The look on his face hadn’t said he was elated or excited, but it didn’t read disgust either so he was a bit out of his depth. He had accepted the invitation after all so part of him must want to go. He’d had a week to cancel and hadn’t yet so that must be a pretty good sign of things. 

“As far as I know that’s the plan, “ Tony told her as he tried to make his brain wake up a tad more. “Will you be around tonight? Keep an eye on the boys for me?”

“Harley has taken care of Peter more than you have,” Nat pointed out and Tony scowled deeply. “But yes I’ll be a floor down if they need anything and I will make sure they’re alright. Are you nervous?”

“He’s only the police captain and gorgeous and out of my league,” Tony shot her a sarcastic smile as he knocked back the last of his coffee. “I’m just a tad apprehensive.”

“Steve is a teddy bear when he isn’t on the job,” Nat waved her hand with a strawberry dangling from her fork. “He’ll treat you well. Just have fun and be yourself and all that jazz.”

“Harley is awake, Sir,” FRIDAY informed him, cutting their conversation short. “He is currently in Peter’s room.”

“Thanks babygirl,” Tony called to her and wondered what he should do. He knew Harley was far from alright, but each time he asked it seemed to cause more tension. He wanted to fix all of this in one day, or at least come up with a plan, but time was something Tony had never been patient with. He dropped his mug in the sink and slowly down the hall to where Peter’s door was propped open and he could hear the both of them laughing quietly together. He peeked in to see Harley leaning against the headboard with Peter’s computer from SI on his lap and Peter laying against his shoulder sleepily and cuddled close to him. 

Tony felt his heart melt as he leaned against the doorway and watched them for a selfish moment. These boys brought him joy, something he doesn’t think he felt before now. It was deeper than happiness and more lasting. It wasn’t gone on a whim and it was there even when the darkness of his mind wanted to overwhelm him. He knew he wanted kids, but god he never guessed it could be like this.

The only downside is that he was more and more baffled over how his father had acted his entire life.

He shook his head, now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. He had the day free to be with his kids and he was going to take every chance he had. Then he had a date tonight with a man he’d been crushing on for what felt like forever and things might be turning up more than he thought possible. 

“Hi boys,” Tony called as he lightly knocked on the door. Harley jumped horribly, causing Peter to lay a hand on his chest and shoot his older brother a look of concern. 

“Hi Tony,” Peter said with a smile as he sat up and stretched. He ruffled his own floppy brown curls and his heart flipped as fondness filled him for his youngest. 

“Sleep okay?” Tony asked them both as he took a seat on the end of the bed. Harley nodded silently as he tucked his knees to his chest. Peter frowned at him once again before turning his attention toward Tony. 

“Yeah, what are we doing today? Do you have to work?” Peter asked as he shuffled over to hug Tony loosely. He ruffled those curls himself and pressed a kiss there.

“I thought about maybe going to lunch and then mini golf?” Tony offered. “I’m going out tonight but you guys have me for the day. I thought we could do something fun before it gets too cold.”

“Cool!” Peter cheered immediately and Harley didn’t react until Tony peered at him and the teen realized he was included in this too. 

“Can I shower?” Harley asked lowly, his voice hoarse and making Tony’s worry spike yet again. 

“Of course,” Tony smiled at him warmly until Harley disappeared into the hallway and he was left alone with Peter. 

“He’s not okay,” Peter said quietly, hushing the questions clouding his mind. “I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s so jumpy and I don’t think he’s sleeping anymore.”

“I’ll make sure he’s okay,” Tony reassured the boy with a squeeze to his shoulder. “I promise you that, okay kiddo?”

“Okay,” Peter said quietly with a worried frown on his pale, youthful face. Tony left Peter to get ready and tried to not let his worries gnaw at him. He had the whole day to make Harley say something, anything, and he wouldn’t let the kid down.

~~~

Harley switched on the pounding water and the music shortly after. He placed his phone on a window ledge so it would stay out of the way, trying to make his hands stop shaking. He had to spend the entire day with Tony, and he had no idea why he was dreading it so much. Tony seemed nice, he truly did. He never raised his voice even though Peter had many nightmares over the last few weeks. He made sure they ate three meals each and every day. He let them use his tech and his giant television. He made sure their homework was done and asked if they slept every morning. He kissed Peter goodnight without fail and it should have reassured him more than it did.

He knew he didn’t deserve this life. If it wasn’t for Peter he would never have it. 

He stripped down and carefully avoided the three mirrors in this room alone and stepped under the spray, closing his eyes and letting the bass flow through him and make some of the pain fade. The water poured over him, a waterfall of scalding water that he used to try and wash away everything he hated about him. He ran his hands through his hair and it only took a moment for the phantom pain of different hands pulling and yanking him where they wanted him. 

“Fuck,” Harley swore quietly as a shudder ran through his body. He hated who he was, every single part of it. He hated the way he couldn’t let Tony in. He hated that he wasn’t strong enough to fight Skip and that the sight of his blonde hair still made him completely freeze. He loathed that he needed sex to make him feel anything at all anymore. He let people use him so that Skip wouldn’t win. That Skip wouldn’t own any part of his body, not anymore. He never let himself have feelings for the people he fell into bed with, or rather the boys he let fuck him against walls behind the school when it struck their interest. 

Skip had been quick to spread around what a whore he was, and who was he to disappoint?

He was the kid nobody in this world wanted. He was the reject that got shuffled to home to home and always instantly mistrusted. He was the one they beat into submission while Peter was left to follow his example. He was glad to take any blow if it meant Peter was safe and unharmed. He would do anything for his brother, but sometimes it hurts to be the one that was always second rate and unwanted. 

When his skin was red from scrubbing and from the heat of the water he stepped out and dried off carefully, making sure the bathroom was spotless in case Tony ever came here. He spent time drying each and every surface that could have water on it before slipping into some clothes and ignoring the razors in his top drawer. He could only fix the numbness late at night when he was sure Tony was asleep. 

He stepped out to see Peter chatting with Tony easily as the two sat on the couch waiting for him. His brother’s eyes were alight with happiness and it was clear he already trusted their newest foster parent pretty deeply. He tried not to feel jealousy that was uncalled for and pretty stupid honestly. He was glad Peter had a parent he felt as if he could trust again and it was normal for him to call for Tony instead of him when nightmares came. He just didn’t like it all that much. 

“You ready to hit the road?” Tony asked him and Harley hated that he jumped. He was terrified of Tony, and he had no real reason to be. He was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and he was so used to screaming that his gentle baritone caught him off guard every single time.

“Yeah, what’s for lunch?” Harley tried to match their easy tones, but he knew he failed when Tony’s eyes narrowed. He honestly hadn’t meant to snap this time, but he was exhausted all the time and he was angry at so much it slipped out even when he didn’t mean to.

“Burgers alright? We might have outvoted you before you got out here,” Tony stood and Harley took a step back, wincing when Peter looked at him like he was crazy.

“Tony said there’s some bar open during the day that serves the best burgers in the city,” Peter rambled off quickly, pulling on his shoes and bounding to stand between them. Harley eyed Tony warily as he made sure to get in the elevator first so he could stand behind the other two. He knew the man drank and had noticed his whiskey collection weeks ago. He had never been so much as tipsy around them, but Harley knew it was a possibility quite well. He got the sense that Tony had a tight control that was waiting to snap. Or maybe that was just his imagination since every man he’d met had been that way. 

He spaced out until suddenly he was seated alone with Tony while Peter went to the bathroom as they waited for their food. He couldn’t even remember when he ordered, shit. 

“You with us, kid?” Tony asked with a hand on his arm. He sighed in irritation as he flinched at the innocent touch. The hurt in Tony’s brown eyes makes guilt squirm in his stomach. “You’re quiet, bud. You’ve been quiet for a while now.”

“I’m sorry,” Harley muttered, knowing he looks ridiculous huddled against the wall, but it makes him feel safe. “I-I don’t mean to be. I just, I’m tired.”

“You can talk to me,” Tony assures him, hell it almost sounds like he’s pleading. “I don’t want to only have a relationship with Peter while you’re off in the corner. I probably won’t understand what you’ve been through, but I can listen at the very least. Is it school? Are things not going well? NIghtmares?”

“It’s-” Harley had no idea where to start or what to say to this man who wanted to help, but he was beyond help so long ago he no longer knew how to ask. 

“Harley!” Peter’s young voice rang through the nearly empty bar as the younger boy nearly ran back to them and scrambled into Harley’s side of the booth and into his arms. Harley was startled, but selfishly grateful he hadn’t had to answer Tony’s probing questions. 

“Hey, squirt, what’s wrong?” Harley asked Peter, holding him close and concerned at the way he was shaking. Nothing should have been making Peter shake like this today. Everything had been going so well and Peter had been so happy the entire way here. He heard the change in his brother’s breathing in an instant and he knew a panic attack was coming on. 

“Pete?” Tony had stood and was coming to kneel next to their bench while Peter was determined to crawl as far into his lap as the table would let him. 

“You’re okay,” Harley told his brother, pressing a kiss to his temple gently. “Peter, it’s alright I’m here. “

“Skip,” Peter whimpered the name that haunted him for months now and Harley barely stopped the usual shudder going through him. He forced himself to stay calm for his brother’s sake right now. 

“What about him, buddy?” Harley asked softly, rubbing circles into the trembling back and hoping Peter wouldn’t spiral into an asthma attack as well. He knew his brother hated having those in public more than just about anything. 

“He’s here!” Peter wailed through his tears and the shaking increased. His hands were fisted in Harley’s shirt and Peter’s face was pressed to his neck where Harley could feel tears wetting his skin. 

“Who is Skip?” Tony asked quietly, probably confused as hell. Neither of them ever spoke of Steven Westcott. The boy they had met at the boys home a year ago and he haunted them ever since. He had been their roommate and older than the both of them so when he wanted to play games with them neither of them could do much to stop it. It was the horror that awaited them each and every time a family sent them back. It was the reason Harley no longer knew who he was anymore. 

“He’s not here,” Harley assured his brother, assuming Peter had seen a flash of blonde hair and had assumed it was their tormentor. He had done the same thing for years. Then that dick had shown up at his high school at the same time he did and the nightmare became reality. 

But he couldn’t possibly be at this random bar on a Saturday at noon exactly when they were, right?

“He is!” Peter insisted tearfully. “He was in the bathroom! I’m not lying and-and-”

“Hey, Peter, “ Tony’s voice was firm enough to catch attention, but his voice was soft. “Let’s run through some breathing, okay? Come here kiddo,” It took a long moment before Peter gravitated toward Tony and Harley was left against the wall and his eyes darted around the room with his heart in his throat and fear making his heart race. 

He was just about positive that Peter had simply seen a shadow of the past when he heard a crash from the kitchen and the door swung open to reveal Skip coming through it carrying a bin of dishes. He was here, right when Harley could finally get a break from that bastard. His blonde hair fell over his forehead and it made his stomach churn when he thought of how many times that hair had fallen over him when Skip was making him be a warm body at night. He wanted to tear his gaze away, but it was like watching an accident happen, impossible not to face the horror. It took only moments for Skip to feel eyes on him and he met Harley’s eyes easily. Skip wore a filthy smirk that made Harley want to tear his skin off. He instantly felt worthless and like some whore that Skip always hissed that he was. 

His tormentor somehow defined who he was, and Harley felt powerless to stop it.

He darted from his seat and was out the door instantly, needing some air before he was panicking as bad as Peter. The weak sunlight of fall hit him as he brought out his phone to send out a text to the latest guy he was involved with. He needed to stop feeling, now. He couldn’t take this, not tonight. He couldn’t be with Tony and Peter right now. He just wanted to stop feeling all the pain and fear and self-hatred. 

“Harley,’ Tony appeared behind him and he bit his lip harshly to stop the fear from pouring out of him. He knew Tony was the adult and that he was supposed to protect him. He could tell Tony all about Skip and he had no doubt that Tony would deck the kid in the face more than likely. He would defend the both of them without hesitation or regret with righteous anger making his hazel eyes light up. 

Or at least that was the fantasy.

He might do those things, or he might tell Harley he should have stopped it. He might say that he needed to get over it since he was supposed to like sex as a boy, wasn’t he? He was being dramatic and pathetic by now. It had happened months ago and he had to just get over it. He might tell him that he deserved it for being such a pathetic waste of space. 

People might think Harley was crazy, but he’d gotten the wrong side of the coin so many damn times.

“Hey, bud, you okay?” Tony asked quietly and he was close enough for Harley to smell the aftershave he wanted to find comforting. He wanted to trust Tony, really did. 

“I’m going out with a friend,’ Harley told him in a tight voice when his phone buzzed with a return message that his ride would be there in five. “I won’t be back until tonight or whatever.”

“Who is Skip?” Tony asked, his voice low and even. “Why does he have Peter panicking? Do you know him?”

“He was at the home with us,” Harley muttered, shoulders rising slightly. “He wasn’t our favorite guy.”

“I think you should come home with us,” Tony took a step closer and Harley was trying to fight the urge to take two steps away. “I think Peter would want you around.”

“Peter has you,” Harley snapped, eyes on the road and on the lookout for the silver Corolla he was waiting for. “You can calm him down and have your movie night or whatever.”

“We would rather have you too,” Tony told him and Harley refused to take on one more ounce of guilt. 

“Don’t worry about me,” Harley said, voice tight and so tempted to let Tony care. To let him hug him the way he did to his brother. To let him be safety and home and trust when nobody else was. “I just need to get away.”

The Corolla pulled up with heavy bass shaking the entire frame of the car. The window rolled down and Harley nearly winced at the unmistakable smell wafting out of that window. He knew Tony would know exactly what that smell was and that he was now responsible enough to not want Harley near that. 

“You have good timing baby,” A voice drawled from within the car. “There’s a party tonight for work and you’re just the kind of candy that can keep me entertained. Get in so we can get you cleaned up for tonight. I’m kinda surprised your ass ain’t hurtin still from last time you were at mine.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Tony demanded and the anger in his voice made every part of him panic. He honestly knew the reaction to this situation, but he never planned on Tony finding out just what kind of company he kept on the side. 

“Who the fuck is this Parker?” The man leaned over and lowered his sunglasses, face going ten shades paler when he saw that a billionaire was outside his car. 

“I am his guardian!” Tony said furiously as he strode over to stand in front of Harley and hiding him from view. “You better never let me catch you so much as looking at my kid ever again or you will find yourself in jail faster than you can blink! Now you better get the fuck out of here, asshole!”

The car peeled away with a squeal of tires and Harley knew he’d be receiving a nasty message before being blocked for good. So many emotions were warring in him at the moment, panic and rage being the two at the front of his mind. Tony had cut him off from the one coping method that made him able to cope with what Skip had done with him. He felt as if control had been snatched from him and the feeling of being trapped and helpless was enough to make him lose his mind completely.

“What the hell did you do that for?” Harley yelled at his guardian as he strode a few paces away. Yep, he had lost his mind to be screaming at Tony Stark outside of some bar in the middle of the afternoon. 

“Are you seriously angry with me?” Tony asked him with his hands on his hips and eyes sharp with anger. “Did you call that loser to come get you? That guy reeking of weed was coming to get you for the night?”

“Well he isn’t some fairy godmother,” Harley snapped in return. “Yeah I called him to get the fuck out of here.”

“Why is here so awful exactly?” Tony asked with a shake of his head. “I was going to take you two home since Peter had a panic attack. We were going to have a quiet afternoon together, so what about that is so awful?”

“I can’t watch some stupid movie right now!” Harley rolled his eyes and felt around for the cigarettes in his pocket, large done caring about what Tony thought of him now. 

“Since when do you smoke?”

“Since I started nicking them from one of my foster dads back when I was thirteen,” Harley lit one with relief seeping into him. 

“Are you just hell bent on destroying yourself then? Pimping yourself out to older men and smoking? You drink too? I feel like I don’t know you at all.” Tony was angry, but Harley was angrier and past caring.

“That would be because you don’t know one damn thing about me. You probably never will.” Harley leaned against the brick wall and tried not to think about Skip on the other side. 

“I’m trying kid,” Tony stood in front of him, watching him closely. “I just want you to give me something. I want you to talk to me.”

“I’m not interested,” Harley drawled as he stared at the ground. “There’s no point in us getting to know or like one another. It’s only a matter of time before you send me back and then this is all over. It’s easier if we just don’t bother with pleasantries.” 

“Look at me,” Tony said firmly and despite his nature wanting to look at the ground out of spite Harley dragged his eyes up to meet Tony’s. “I am not sending you back, even if you are some smoking punk that won’t speak more than ten words to me. It ‘s not happening. Even if you sit in my tower without speaking to me for two years you won’t be leaving until you have a steady job and income to support yourself.” 

“You don’t even like me,” Harley said, voice quieter and a lump forming. “You can’t know you’ll keep me for two years already. I’m sick of empty promises so just stop.”

“My promises aren’t empty,’ Tony sighed heavily and scrubbed the back of his neck. “I have been where you are Harley, believe it or not. I was equally miserable at sixteen and I used to find company with older men and women plenty back then. This isn’t scaring me away, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you destroy yourself.”

“It’s not like it matters,” Harley muttered, Skip’s voice in his mind more than his own. 

“Come home with us,” Tony reached out to place a hand on his arm and Harley couldn’t stop his surprised flinch as always. “Those men aren’t going to give you what you want. I promise you that much Harley.”

He let Tony rest a hand on his shoulder back to the car and hoped he wouldn’t be roped into talking about Skip.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey for once it hasn't been ages since the last update!! Platonic relationships are so hard for me to write and I have no idea. There isn't a whole lot of Peter in here this time because this is kinda Harley's time to break down but he'll be back next chapter. Your comments are what keeps me going, in so many ways, so thank you to those who leave me such kind words. We get to the Tony/Bucky as tagged now and maybe it's lame but I tried and I like it mostly. 
> 
> Summary, I tried guys 
> 
> Hope you guys like it and give lots of love to Harley, my poor bb. 
> 
> Happy Reading :)

Tony found himself watching Harley more than the movie on in front of him. Peter was curled up against him, asleep within a third of the movie. He had gotten a glimpse of what was going on with Harley this afternoon, and the worry only got ten times stronger by what he had seen and heard. He had been in dark places plenty of times, and if he hadn’t had Rhodey back then he would have ended up in some very bad places. Harley was having sex with men he didn’t know, and that was dangerous for so many reasons. He could get himself into real danger if he wasn’t being careful and if Tony knew one thing about being sixteen it was that you weren’t careful. 

Harley sat away from them both, curled up and gaze unfocused as the movie played in front of them. Tony still had no idea who Skip was really or why seeing hm had caused such horrible negative reactions in both boys. He knew this boy had caused grief and damage to two people Tony already held very close to his heart. He probably should cancel his date tonight, but then again there wasn’t anything he could do to help until he knew what was really wrong. Harley wanted space and Peter only wanted Harley tonight. They had always gotten through things together and Tony hadn’t worked out how to break through to be included in their bond yet. 

He ended up getting ready to leave with no protest from either of his boys and it was only when a knock came on the door that the nerves from this morning hit him again. He was really going on a date again. He was trying to start something new, even with how damaged he was. He had even more at stake with the boys living with him now. Anyone he brought into his life not only had the possibility to hurt him but also the boys that had been hurt so many times before. 

There was nothing for it but to open the door.

He swung open the door and was about to quip a greeting when he was rendered speechless by James Barnes at his door instead of the good captain he had been expecting. Bucky looked completely dashing in tight, dark jeans with a button up shirt and blazer completing the look. His hair was pulled up in a bun and Tony could immediately smell the musk of his cologne. He looked dressed for a date, but did Tony somehow ask out the wrong guy?

“I know Steve cancelled on you,” Bucky said quickly with a nervous smile. “I thought a guy like you still deserved to go out for a nice night with a handsome guy so I thought I’d do the honors.”

“Steve cancelled?” Tony was completely baffled as he pulled out his phone and sure enough saw four messages from Steve Rogers. Evidently he couldn’t even cancel with a phone call. 

“I see you didn’t even know that much,” Bucky said quietly with a small sigh. “I’m so sorry to be the one delivering the news. I do hope you’ll come out with me, though. I’ll show you a good time I promise.”

“I don’t need some pity date,” Tony snapped, immediately reminding himself of Harley snapping at him earlier and feeling uncomfortable at how similiar they were. 

There was something in Bucky’s answering smile that made Tony step forward and close the door behind himself before anything even came out of the other man’s mouth. “Nobody would ever date a man like you out of pity.”

Tony snorted softly and found himself smiling at the motorbike outside instead of a car. “What’s the plan tonight?”

“Well,” Bucky’s smile was contagious as he led the way to the shiny motorbike sitting outside the tower. “I was thinking something a little unconventional, or at least for you.” 

“I live for unconventional,” Tony felt a small smile sneak onto his face, stepping closer to the bike and feeling a flutter at the thought of sitting behind Bucky and wrapping his arms around the toned waist. 

“You want it to be a surprise, or you want me to tell you?” Bucky asked him as he slid on his helmet and handed Tony his extra. 

“I guess let’s keep up with the theme of surprise,” Tony shrugged. He swung his leg over and got on the bike less gracefully than he would have liked. He had no idea what all of this was about. Was this a pity date since Steve had cancelled at the last minute like a dick? The smile Bucky wore looking at him said otherwise, but what else was he supposed to think? He spoke to Bucky regularly since Nat was close with him on the force and he lived only a floor below, but there had never really been much of a spark between them unless he had been oblivious all this time? 

That was more likely the case.

They sped out into the night and the wind chilled him, but that only gave him the excuse to scoot closer to Bucky and breathe in the aftershave that smelled so good. They drove out from the city, leaving the lights and traffic far behind, and what a relief it was to take a break from the hustle and bustle the city thrived in. In the dark of the countryside it seemed like the whole world disappeared except for the two of them, and if that wasn’t a romantic notion then Tony didn’t know what was. He wondered for a moment if Steve would have done something like this, or if they would have found themselves downtown in a crowded bar or restaurant. 

It was only about thirty minutes later that Bucky turned off the main road and they slowed down to their destination. It was a fall carnival with booths and hayrides and four haunted houses to boot, definitely nothing Tony would have ever expected. He had never been to a haunted house before. His childhood had never allowed things like this, not that he had had any friends to bother doing things with anyways. His whole life had always been about Stark Industries until he had adopted those boys. Even with Pepper it felt like he had nothing that SI didn’t own or play a huge part in. They had made business and pleasure balance, but that didn’t mean shop talk never happened in the bedroom between them. 

“Surprised?” Bucky looked far too pleased with himself at the wonder that was likely written all over his face. He gazed around at the bright signs and the people smiling and laughing with distant screams in the distance mixed with the roar of what sounded like a chainsaw of all things. 

“I would never have guessed you’d bring me here,” Tony nodded and followed as Bucky lead him to the front where you bought tickets to the houses. He reached into his pocket for his wallet for a moment before realizing Bucky had already done the same and had paid for the both of them to have full and unlimited access to the festivities. Another smile made its way onto his face, tucking the money away and realizing he wouldn’t need it tonight. 

He was a tad unsure what all of this meant as they walked past booths full of treats and drinks. Was this a real date? Was it just someone to spend some time with? Was Bucky even interested in him? Was he really just that chivalrous of a man? How on earth did he deserve something like this? Bucky was a wild card that Tony never expected to come into play and he had no idea how to compartmentalize this one and it was putting him iincredibly on edge. 

“You’re thinking a whole lot over there,” Bucky said softly and Tony felt a warm hand take his to intertwine their fingers together. He was surprised to feel a swooping feeling in his stomach that he was pretty sure he hadn’t felt in years now. 

“I just feel like I’m missing something in this scenario,” Tony shifted closer so that their shoulders were brushing as they walked slowly. “I mean, did you secretly like me this whole time or are you really just that guy that thinks everyone should have happiness and no disappointment in their life?”

“I have a metal arm Stark, do you really think I don’t know that life doesn’t have disappointment?” Bucky asked him dryly. He sighed then and pulled Tony to a stop so they were facing one another. “We’re adults and should probably just have total transparency. Steve was going to give you a courtesy date.”

“A what now?” Tony spluttered as he tried to search Bucky’s blue eyes for where this was going. 

“It’s not that Steve doesn’t see how amazing you are,” Bucky rambled quickly as a hand came up to scratch the back to his neck. “He definitely does and all. He… Well, yeah I’ve liked you for a while and he knew and when you asked him out he felt rude rejecting you outright and he’s the sort that thinks everyone deserves at least one date. Then apparently I moped ever since he told me so he decided to cancel and that’s when I figured I had a small shot of taking you out and making you think I was worth your time.”

Well, Starks weren’t speechless often it was said. 

Bucky didn’t think he was worth his time. This gorgeous man who was an upholder of the law and undoubtedly one of the kindest officers on New York’s streets didn’t think he was worth Tony Stark’s time. Maybe a lot of people felt that way, but none had admitted it so candidly or made his heart stutter when they did. He was caught up in himself most of the time he was ashamed to admit. He just always had so much on his plate that he never looked outside his close circle of people and admittedly his kids took up most of his spare attention. He knew Bucky was attractive with his gorgeous and soft long hair and breathtaking blue eyes, but he never thought about Bucky noticing him in return. 

“Well I’d much rather have something real than a courtesy anything,” Tony said, trying to shake off his shock. “I must say I’m truly flattered Mr. Barnes.”

“Let’s go on a hayride and get into the spirit of things, yeah?” Bucky asked as he tugged him off to the large and cheesily decorated sign. “If it gets too spooky I promise you can hold onto me.”

“Oh, my hero,” Tony said with a smirk and let himself be pulled onto the back of a tractor filled with hay. This was not how he expected his night to go, but his expectations had always been too low his entire life he’d been told. 

~~~~

The night was one Tony would remember for the rest of his life even if he never got another spent in the company of James Barnes. They had laughed easily the entire night and Tony honestly forgot anything else existed until his phone rang shrilly when they left to walk back to the bike and make their way home, and Tony was hoping he would find the nerve to invite the other man upstairs. 

“It’s Peter,” Tony said in confusion since his boys should have been in bed hours ago. He had figured that they wouldn’t go to sleep exactly on time and all, but this was pretty late and he was a tad concerned. Bucky had stopped as well and was looking at him with concern. 

“Hey bud,” Tony answered, not truly angry they weren’t in bed on a Saturday night. He always had enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning, and this one might feature a very naked Bucky to go with it. 

“Can you come home?” Peter asked in a small voice full of tears. Tony felt himself melt completely and his heart ache when he wasn’t there to dry his boy’s tears immediately.

“You have a nightmare, bambino?” Tony asked softly as he leaned against a tree. 

“No, it’s - Dad, it’s Harley,” Tony felt his heart stop completely at the name Peter had called him and he had to fight the smile that wanted to break over his face. 

“What’s up with your brother?” Tony asked, hoping it wouldn’t be something too disastrous. 

“He… I guess he had a nightmare,” Peter said with a sniff. “He won’t stop crying and I’m worried about him. He was quiet all night and on his phone a lot and now he’s in his bathroom and he needs you I think.”

“Okay, kiddo, I’m on the way home now. Just make sure he’s safe and I’ll be there soon.” Tony assured him before ending the call. He slowly focused back on his date for the night and realized this was probably the worst way to end a date. “Uh, I need to get home. Harley needs some help.”

“That poor kid,” Bucky led him over to the bike. “He’s been through so much.”

“Do - Has he been caught up in drugs and stuff before? That you know of?” Tony asked as they put on their helmets. 

“With the people I’ve caught him with I wouldn’t be surprised,” Bucky said sadly. “Harley has been around some tough crowds since I’ve known him. “

“I don’t think he’s entirely left those tough crowds,” Tony said with a sigh as he got on behind Bucky and held on even more snugly than the first time. They sped through the dark and quiet streets to get to the tower much more quickly than it took to leave. Tony was off the bike nearly before it came to a complete stop as he tossed his helmet in Bucky’s direction, surprised when the other man was right behind him in nearly as much of a hurry. 

After fidgeting in the longest elevator ride of his life Tony sprinted out to his teenager’s room and saw Peter perched outside the bathroom door with soft and heartbreaking cries coming from inside. Peter didn’t hesitate to hug him tightly the moment he was close enough and even though Bucky’s touch gave him butterflies, it was nothing like this. 

“Alright, I”m here sweetheart,” Tony told the boy softly. “Has he said anything?”

“He won’t open the door or say anything to me,” Peter shook his head after nuzzling into his chest for a second. “I’ve never heard him cry like this, ever. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I’ve got it, okay?” Tony assured him with a kiss to his head. “I’ll sort it all out. FRI, override privacy protocols and unlock this for me.”

“Yes, Boss,” FRIDAY chirped softly and a click was heard as he gained access to the bathroom. Tony gestured for Peter to stay put for a minute as he slipped into the dark room and shut the door behind him. The cries were louder and if Tony thought Peter could break his heart with his tears, this was ten times worse. Harley was huddled in a corner by his bath, knees tucked to his chest and face buried in them with his hair sticking up in all directions. Tony sighed quietly and made to move Harley’s phone so he could sit next to him when the screen came to life to show an instagram post that made Tony sick to look at. It was Harley in a compromising position with some guy with blonde hair and the comments were endlessly flooding in and Tony didn’t have to look at them to know they probably weren’t kind. He had barely discovered what Harley had been up to and Tony could make many conclusions on his own without a word being said. This was like his college days, except that Harley was a tad younger and had been through so much more. 

“Harley,” Tony said softly, cautiously when the teen hadn’t looked at him after a few minutes. “They’re wrong, okay? Whatever they’re saying isn’t true and doesn’t matter. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. You aren’t alone.”

He was met with silence.

Tony wanted to hold Harley the way he held his brother but they had never crossed that bridge and he wasn’t sure if right now was the right time. Harley’s tears were increasing with his soft comforting words and Tony could hear his breathing hitch quietly. 

“Take a deep breath,” Tony was hesitant to touch him but he scooted around to sit so their knees were brushing. “You need to breathe and we can figure this all out together. Just breathe for me right now. That’s all you have to do or worry about.”

His words were helping until the phone starts to vibrate to steal Harley’s attention to the screen that held Skip’s name on it. All bets were off slowing his breathing down the minute his eyes saw that name and Harley clumsily rose to his feet to throw the phone across the room at the same time as he started to truly hyperventilate and his body shook visibly. Tony wasted no time to tuck Harley in his arms and hold him close with one arm around his waist to help him stay standing while the other hand tangled in his blonde hair to scratch at his scalp soothingly. He rocked them slowly as he tried to say some kind of nonsense he hoped was soothing to the teen right now. 

“My chest hurts,’ Harley finally whimpered so hoarsely that Tony had a hard time hearing him at first. Tony kept his hands on Harley’s shoulders as he pulled far enough away to get a glimpse of the teen’s face. He smoothed some hair away from his face and wiped the tears from his pale cheeks.gently. He coaxed his son to sit on the edge of the tub as he settled on his knees in front of him, taking shaking hands in his own. 

“Let’s get you to bed,” Tony said after a moment pondering what Harley needed most right now. “I”ll stay with you okay? I’ll lay with you and you can get some sleep. In the morning we can talk and we can figure this out together.” Tony reached up to cup a damp cheek as a few tears hit his fingers. “You aren’t alone, you hear me? You won’t be alone ever again. You have a family now and we are here for you whether you want us to be or not. You aren’t alone through this.”

“Okay,” Harley said before leaning forward and letting his forehead rest on Tony’s collarbone as he gave a shaky sigh. Tony squeezed the back of his neck affectionately before making both of them get to their feet. He told Peter to go to bed and that Harley would talk to him in the morning once he’d gotten some sleep. He just had no idea what he would say when those morning rays came in. 

~~~

Harley woke up with a headache and his eyes aching fiercely. He yawned and made to pull his pillow closer when he realized starkly that his pillow was more solid than he remembered. Shit, had he disassociated that badly that he had forgotten going home with someone? He was pretty sure he had stayed in the tower since Tony was out on that date and he didn’t want to leave Peter alone. Who the hell was he in bed with?

He glanced up to see none other than Tony dozing against his pillows and then remembered Tony finding him in the bathroom crying and panicking over some picture Skip had posted online which caused more than a few comments from his classmates and messages from men he had been seeing in his spare time. His phone had exploded for hours and none of it made him feel anything more than some slut. His coping methods were falling apart one by one and Harley didn’t know what would be left at the end. He liked to belong to someone in a way he had never belonged in a family before. It was either that or belonging to a universe that had never shown him any kindness. He had done so many unspeakable things just so some man would claim Harley as his, and all that was for nothing with one stupid picture. Skip must have found out and wanted to destroy any chance of anyone else ever wanting him. 

“It’s too early in the morning to panic,” Tony’s voice sleepily drifted into the air and Harley felt a hand on his back gently. “Take some deep breaths and relax for a minute.”

“Fucking hell,” Harley said quietly and darted to the other side of the bed. He wasn’t allowed to be weak like this. He wasn’t allowed to need or want attention. He was sixteen and the only reason he ever got taken in by families was because he was supposed to be no trouble. He was supposed to be the kid they didn’t have to worry about. Peter was young and adorable and could make most people fall in love with him while he was the one people took pity on once Peter begged them to take him too. He had fucked this all up and he didn’t want to leave Peter here. “I’m so sorry about the phone Tony. I didn’t mean to break it! I’ll pay you back for it if you want. I’m sorry I caused trouble for you and -- Oh God, you were on a date and came home for me. Tony, it won’t happen again I promise.”

“Maybe it isn’t too early to panic for the Parkers,” Tony muttered as he sat up and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Harley couldn’t explain why he was so terrified when Tony looked probably the least intimidating he had since coming to live with him. His clothes were wrinkled to hell and his hair stuck up every which way as he rubbed the sleep out of the corners of his eyes. “I’m not mad about that phone, kiddo. That is probably the thing I cared about the least last night I swear to you.”

“You saw the picture,” Harley said, voice shaking but sure Tony must have glimpsed it before his fit of rage had destroyed the evidence. Or maybe Tony was following him on Instagram since he seemed to be up to date with tech if nothing else. 

“Again, not what I’m worried about,” Tony said calmly. “I was caught in my share of compromising pictures. It happens.” Harley tried to make himself relax, but his mind was whirring with a million thoughts about Tony, Skip, and what would come now that morning was here. “Baby, who is Skip?”

Harley startled at the nickname. Tony was liberal with pet names for his brother more and more as time went on. Baby, sweetheart, kiddo, and short stuff were just a few of his favorites but he had always used Harley’s name when they did talk. It was odd, but it made something warm stir in his heart at the endearment. It reminded him of a book he had loved as a child and his mother used to read to him every night. Love You Forever was a book he had kept until he’d been thirteen or so before the cynicism had taken over his heart. It was a book about a little boy growing up and over the years the mother in the book had reassured her son would always be her baby no matter how old he got. It was a book that never failed to make him cry after his mother passed away and he had to face the foster system with his kid brother by his side. Hearing Tony call him baby touched a part of him he thought he had locked away for good. 

“I told you he was a kid at the group home with us,” Harley tried to focus on the moment and not let his emotions get carried away. “I don’t like him much, neither of us do.”

“Peter had a panic attack seeing him,” Tony pointed out, leaning against the headboard with a pillow over his stomach. “You destroyed your phone when his name popped up on your screen last night. I think he is more than someone you dislike.” 

Harley wished he could back up further without looking like an idiot and falling off the bed. He felt so exposed here and he knew Tony wasn’t going to let this go until he had answers. Now the time came to give answers to questions nobody had asked before. Not any other foster family about his nightmares or lack of eating. Not the kids at school who must see the way he tenses around Skip. Only Tony noticed and cared enough to ask, patient enough to wait for answers. 

“It’s not my fault,” The sentence slipped out before Harley had a say in what was going to be said first. “It started years ago and I didn’t know what else to do.” His hands started shaking as he tried clenching them into fists. “Skip came around two years ago to our group home. Peter liked him right away and at first those two were inseparable. I was too caught up in my own stuff to much care who Peter hung out with as long as it meant I got alone time now and then.” He’d been so stupid back then to not pay attention to what was happening with his little brother. He’d been selfish and ignorant while it cost Peter any innocence he had left at that point. They’d been in foster care for four years by then, more than long enough to see so many horrors. 

“One night Peter crawled into my bed before Skip actually shared our room and it was only the two of us.” Harley felt a lump rise into his throat at the memory of how small Peter had been and how vulnerable he had sounded that night, how confused and terrified. “He started crying and told me he didn’t like Skp anymore. He told me Skip had been making him do things with him he didn’t like. He was molesting my little brother, making him touch him and other fucked up shit.” He felt tears slip down his face and hastily wiped his cheeks. Tony’s mouth was pinched in a frown but he stayed silent for him to finish the story, which he was grateful for. He had never told anyone for a reason, it was like reliving the memories of two years ago all over again. “LIke any older brother would I got in this kid’s face and told him to never even think about looking at Peter ever again. I thought I would intimidate him enough so that he would leave Peter alone for good and I would never have to hear him cry like that again.” 

“Harley,” Tony said softly when he cut himself off with silent sobs and brought his knees up to his chest. 

“It backfired,” Harley said sadly, scrubbing tears from his face and terrified of what Tony would think now that he was about to know the truth. “He made me have sex with him, or he threatened Peter. He told me he would leave Peter alone if I did what he wanted. It was okay until he showed up at my school.” Harley sighed , scratching at his wrist to focus on some other pain than the one that ate him inside out every single day. “I’m sorry about the other day outside the bar. I just… Ever since Skip showed up at school he’s been… territorial. I feel trapped and owned and I don’t like it so I sleep with other men so I feel like he doesn’t own me.” He somehow pulled his knees closer to his chest and hugged them like they could give him comfort. His sobs doubled in the face of Tony’s silence and knew it was a bad idea to tell his story. Why would anyone care about someone like him? He deserved to be used by whoever would have him and he should be grateful he had some place in the world. 

Tony turned on the TV and made him jump as sound filled the room to some sitcom they had been watching last week together. Tony scooted closer to him and tugged him to the middle of the bed. A hand on his shoulder coaxed him to lay down so Tony could hold him close. Harley felt so numb he couldn’t even summon his usual energy to push him away. He knew by now Tony wouldn’t hurt him, and he wanted the comfort more than he could ever put into words. 

“You are a remarkable boy,” Tony told him softly halfway through the episode and mid morning was rolling around quickly. He was being held with his head pillowed on the older man’s chest to hear his steady heartbeat and a hand stroked his hair softly. “You are selfless and brave and nothing that this world has told you you are. What you did for Peter…. Not every sixteen year old boy would do that let me tell you.” 

“He’s my brother,” Harley shook his head. “I would do anything for him.”

“What happened to you didn’t make you less in any way,” Tony hugged him close and Harley felt drops fall on his forehead. Tony was crying? He was crying over what happened to some kid like him? He’d never seen Tony cry, didn’t think a man like Tony would cry over some stupid kid nobody else wanted. “I promise you that stupid asshole kid is never coming near either of you again as long as I’m alive.”

“I… I have to go to school,” Harley stumbled over his words as he pulled back to look up at Tony in confusion. The older man’s brown eyes were filled with anger, but somehow he knew none of it was directed at him. “It’s okay I can handle it. I’ll-”

“It is not okay,” Tony said firmly with a hand resting on the side of his face. “None of it is okay. What he did to you is the most evil thing someone can do to another human being. You did not deserve it, and you didn’t ask for it. We’ll find you a new school or I can get you whatever tutor you want. You are never seeing him again, okay?”

“Why would you do that for me?” Harley had to ask as a fresh wave of tears hit him. “Why do you care so much? I don’t get it. I’m not worth any of that.”

“Of course you are baby,” Tony had undoubtedly picked up on how much he liked being called that and he was easily pulled back in for a hug as he felt lips press against the top of his head. “You’re worth so much more than you will ever know.” 

Some small part of Harley started to believe that to Tony Stark that really was the truth.


End file.
